Confidence in Prayer

Confidence in Prayer:

In a previous post (Exercise in Futility) we looked at 1 John 5:14-15 and the necessity of bringing prayers directly to Jesus because He is both our anchor that holds within the Most Holy Place behind the veil (Heb 6:19), and also our High Priest who lives to always intercede for us (Heb 7:25).  Today we’ll look at how we can have CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER – and the joy and victory that comes with it.

Little David stood in front of a bid dude named Goliath.  Nobody expected Buster Douglas to knock out Mike Tyson… except Buster.  Nobody expected Holly Holm to knock out Ronda Rousey… except Holly.  Nobody expected little David to take out the Philistines all-time greatest warrior…  Nobody except David.  Where did that CONFIDENCE come from?  David understood the will of God was for Israel to inhabit the Promised Land to bring God’s glorious redemption to the ends of the earth.

Goliath laughed when he saw a scrawny boy coming out onto the battlefield.  To this David responded, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!” That's what confidence in prayer looks like.

This is the CONFIDENCE we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. – 1 John 5:14-15

If we come to Jesus in a spirit of doubt, fear, hesitation, uncertainty, timidity, or apprehension then there are underlying issues we need to ask God to bring into the light.

Confidence accomplishes NOTHING independent from the will of God, but many Christians pray with great timidity and hesitation because they are unfamiliar with the character and heart of God.  As I mentioned in the previous post, many of our prayers amount to nothing more than the pagans’ pitching of a penny in a wishing well.  Flipping a prayer up to God with fingers crossed and teeth clinched is not what Jesus desires for us – nor does He desire an approach like that of a spoiled child demanding something.

This is not prosperity gospel prayer. God’s desire for you is not earthly/temporal riches, but rather those of the eternal variety. If you’re praying to God for things that will benefit you first and foremost, then you may rest assured that those prayers will go unanswered by God.  Jesus told us “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What are your thoughts on most often? “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If you’re listening to people who tell you “Believe and receive,” then you’re only getting a very skewed part of the story.  “If we ask anything according to his will” is the key.

So what is God’s will?  Look at Jesus – period.  When you love God your life boils down to simple (not easy) obedience.  Obedience looks like Jesus humbling Himself and stepping down from heaven.  Philippians 2:3 makes this clear: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”  Obedience is altruistic humility.

Obedience looks like being born in a feeding trough (manger) – no entitlements or hubris.

Obedience looks like serving people in tangible ways (healing, curing, teaching, loving, helping, guiding) so that the Good News (gospel) has fertile soil upon which to take deep & enduring root.  That’s what Paul meant in Philippians 1:27 when he wrote, “live exclusively in a manner worthy of citizens of the gospel of Christ.”

Obedience looks like the Cross – total surrender – and it WILL cost you your life.  Jesus said it looks like this, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must deny yourself (turn from your selfish ways), take up your cross, and follow me.”

Follow Him how? Jesus made that concept of following perfectly clear in Matthew 28:18-20. We become like Jesus in helping others to know Him and to be like Him, i.e. discipleship.

God’s will is the redemption of humanity from the grave & curse of sin.  That happens through discipleship and discipleship happens within the context of a united church.

So what’s the practical application? Jesus prayed to the Father for the unity of the Church (universal & local) so that in living “exclusively in a manner worthy of the gospel” we would have a POWERFUL witness and impact the lives of the people around us so profoundly that Jesus Christ would be adorned, made real, tangible, and manifest through it all.  That’s discipleship.  That’s what Jesus did with just a handful of people. That’s the will of God.

Get involved and invested in discipleship and you’ll experience God in new and glorious ways.  Make church about transforming lives, being transformed, and advancing the kingdom – not just singing and hearing a sermon on Sunday.  When you’re invested in discipleship you’re experiencing and living out the Father’s will.

Pray for opportunities in discipleship, for changed hearts, for impact in ministry for the glory of His Name and His eternal praise & glory.  Make it all about Him and let the Holy Spirit of God take you along for the ride of your life!

Praying the will of God = assurance of being heard.

Being heard by God = assurance of receiving.

Because of this we approach Jesus in prayer with CONFIDENCE!

Maybe that sounds something like, “WOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!”

Blessings,

-Kevin