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Our Confidence in Prayer

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If anyone ever knew the power of a praying life, it was the Apostle John. When he was old and eager to lead the precious people of God in the way they should go, he wrote 1 John which, among other things, makes this promise about prayer. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). 

John’s words echo those of Jesus and reiterate his great and precious promises regarding prayer. But as with Jesus’ words, John’s promise comes with this caveat: to have our prayers affirmatively answered by God, we must ask according to his will. How, then, can we know that we are praying according to his will? 

First, we know that we are praying according to God’s will when we pray! That is to say, our Father invites and commands us to pray—to make our cares known to him, to offer our requests to him, to intercede on behalf of other people, cities, and nations—and when we obey him in this, we are submitting to his will. 

Second, we know that we are praying according to God’s will when we pray according to his Word. Some things about which we pray are a mystery to us, and therefore, we should look to his Word and focus on what is known, seeking him from there about what is unknown. The more we grow in praying according to his Word, the more we grow in the ability to discern his will in all things. As Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” As the Lord renews our minds according to his Word, the Spirit shapes our prayers according to his wisdom. 

Third, we know that we are praying according to God’s will when we are praying in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. That is to say, prayer is a relational activity, and when we are seeking the Lord himself over and above what we are asking of him, then we can know that we are well-tuned to his heart. The heart of the Lord is unite heart-to-heart with his people. 

Fourth, we know that we are praying according to God’s will when we pray with, and receive confirmation from, other believers. Life in Christ is life together. It is personal but not private. Thus, the Lord is often pleased to give wisdom for prayer, discernment in prayer, and power through prayer when we gather together. 

Prayer Focus: Pray that we will believe and cling to this promise: “if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Pray that Jesus will give us theological and practical insight into what it means to pray according to his will and a heart to ceaselessly ask of our Father for the glory of his name.

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