Dictum Meum Pactum

The motto of The London Stock Exchange is Dictum Meum Pactum - My Word Is My Bond.

This dates back to the days when stocks and shares dealers used to make verbal deals as to whether to buy or sell company shares from each other and at what price. Dealing was no doubt fast and furious. You had to decide quickly before prices changed. Those were the days before computers. So you make a verbal agreement to seal the bargain and stick to it. Total trust between members of the Stock Exchange was vital. Dictum Meum Pactum.

Do you take God at His Word? Is His Word His Bond?

Or do you harbour the slightest, tiniest, little bit of doubt at the back of your mind? A doubt that niggles as you try to wipe it away; but it is still there. Telling you that perhaps ... maybe ... who knows ... God did not mean what He said. God is perhaps not listening to your prayers  ... or maybe He doesn't exist at all.

Jesus told His disciples, "Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God and believe also in Me." John 14:1

You cannot get it plainer than this. When Christ uttered these words to His disciples, and to us, He meant them. There was no figure of speech there. No ifs ... or buts ... or notwithstanding the afore mentioned ... or any other legalise or escape clause. It was straight talking. Believe in God and Me.

On another occasion Jesus said, "I tell you: When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for." Mark 11:24

Again ... no ambiguity here. Straight talking; just like when He said, "I am telling you the truth; the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete." John 16:23-24

Let us now consider what these promises and invitations to trust God really mean.

To the simple mind, one would rub their hands in glee and ask for wealth and fame and fortune beyond imagination. Hoping that God would provide them.  After all, Jesus promised it, and we take Him at His word. He said so.

But in reality, this cannot be so. God is not our obedient genie Whom we have freed from the bottle or the magic lamp. He is not our servant, at our beck and call ready to respond to our every command. He is our Creator Father, who having loved us so much, He gave us the freedom to choose for ourselves whether to love Him back or not. He asks nothing more of us than to love Him back in return and obey His Commandments. The final decision is ours to make.

Like any loving Father He is pleased when we ask for our needs, and for that of others, and He is only too willing to respond in a way and at a time that befits our benefit; that is good for us.

Our prayers should be ones which express our inner thoughts and feelings with honesty and asking for His help and guidance on the way ahead.

For example, rather than directing Him on what to do; "God please let my son/daughter etc... get a good job ... gain a promotion ... pass the exam/driving test ... find a suitable spouse etc ..." our prayer should be one which expresses our concerns and love for others. A prayer for ourselves even. We should ask Him for His favours for our needs whilst acknowledging that He still retains full control of the situation.

For example, "Lord you know how I feel about my son/daughter and their present situation. Lord I offer them to your care knowing full well that you love them more than I can ever do; and that you will care for them on my behalf in this life and the next."

By offering a person or situation to the Lord you are in effect relinquishing any control that you may, or may not, have on the situation. You are asking God to take over. And, (hopefully), you totally mean it. You are not paying lip service to the prayer you have just said. You make no attempt to still remain in control; to continue to worry about that person or situation.

That is what Christ meant when He said, "Believe in God and believe also in Me," and, "When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for."

He asked us to believe and trust Him. His Word is His bond. We should trust Him in full confidence, without the slightest doubt, that He is listening and will respond.