"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14
And again,
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14
CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES
These verses should give us so much confidence in prayer. If we believe them, then they will! Can we become bolder and more decisive in our prayers? We can, if we make God's Word a reality in our lives. We are free to make bold petitions and ask big questions. We are free to pray big prayers. Can't God do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask? (Ephesians 3:20) He can, and He will, if we pray in faith.
Praying for someone else is so exciting when you know the work has already been done. If I believe Jesus when He said, "It is finished", then I'll believe that He has also already overcome every single work of the devil. Praying for someone else is so easy sometimes, because I can realize that God loves that person even more than I do. I know that Jesus will overcome the enemy's work in their lives--He just lets me say the words. I know that the hard work has been finished by another. And because of that, I know that He will choose to show His glory.
Praying for myself is great, too. The results are effective and often immediate. If I ask for wisdom for God, I am destined to receive it. That's what the Word says, and if I believe it, then I will allow God to manifest it. Just look at the promises below:
"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:8
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
Lord, give us wisdom. Lord, give us faith. Lord, make us pure. Lord, give us more love. Lord, please touch our families. Lord, please give an opportunity today.
OK, so God will do all those things. Praise Jesus! He made things so simple. We can always take heart (John 16:33) and have confidence in Him. We can put all of our trust into His heart.
CONDITIONS TO MEET
There are conditions to meet, however, before we can know that God will listen to our prayers. I could try to explain this, but instead, I think we should all meditate on the scriptures below. These are the conditions, and these are the results of disobedience:
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear" Isaiah 59:2
"We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will."
John 9:31
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3
These warnings have been written so that we might know the benefits of obedience to God. The closer we are to God, the close He will be to our prayers. We need to be close. We need to be pure, godly, and obedient--that's when God will listen. That's when He will listen and intercede with us. That's when we can be confident! We have been given in the Holy Spirit a purity that causes Him to respond to our every prayer and petition.
Prayer changes things, after God has changed you. Prayer moves things, after God has moved you. And there comes a time when God gives freedom in prayer. There comes a time when, as a friend of God, we can cause Him to change His mind (this is in the Word--look at Jeremiah 42, esp. 42:10). We can know that our prayers move the hand of God.
"If the Holy Ghost doesn't move me, then I move the Holy Ghost."
Smith Wigglesworth said this. Many people refused it, or thought it was unscriptural. It probably seemed to be a prideful statement--maybe Smith Wigglesworth thought he was God.
But in reality, Wigglesworth was just a really close friend. And he knew that persistence gets things done. He knew that faith in God to carry out His Word always pays off. He knew that God's promises do not ever fail--if you stand on them, if you make them your life. We need to know what Jesus says--"If you ask for anything in My Name, so I will do it." We need to make Jesus our best friend. We need His love and His conviction resting upon us. That's when we trust Him. That's when we have boldness. And this is the way that we can have confidence in prayer.
And again,
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14
CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES
These verses should give us so much confidence in prayer. If we believe them, then they will! Can we become bolder and more decisive in our prayers? We can, if we make God's Word a reality in our lives. We are free to make bold petitions and ask big questions. We are free to pray big prayers. Can't God do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask? (Ephesians 3:20) He can, and He will, if we pray in faith.
Praying for someone else is so exciting when you know the work has already been done. If I believe Jesus when He said, "It is finished", then I'll believe that He has also already overcome every single work of the devil. Praying for someone else is so easy sometimes, because I can realize that God loves that person even more than I do. I know that Jesus will overcome the enemy's work in their lives--He just lets me say the words. I know that the hard work has been finished by another. And because of that, I know that He will choose to show His glory.
Praying for myself is great, too. The results are effective and often immediate. If I ask for wisdom for God, I am destined to receive it. That's what the Word says, and if I believe it, then I will allow God to manifest it. Just look at the promises below:
"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:8
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
Lord, give us wisdom. Lord, give us faith. Lord, make us pure. Lord, give us more love. Lord, please touch our families. Lord, please give an opportunity today.
OK, so God will do all those things. Praise Jesus! He made things so simple. We can always take heart (John 16:33) and have confidence in Him. We can put all of our trust into His heart.
CONDITIONS TO MEET
There are conditions to meet, however, before we can know that God will listen to our prayers. I could try to explain this, but instead, I think we should all meditate on the scriptures below. These are the conditions, and these are the results of disobedience:
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear" Isaiah 59:2
"We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will."
John 9:31
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3
These warnings have been written so that we might know the benefits of obedience to God. The closer we are to God, the close He will be to our prayers. We need to be close. We need to be pure, godly, and obedient--that's when God will listen. That's when He will listen and intercede with us. That's when we can be confident! We have been given in the Holy Spirit a purity that causes Him to respond to our every prayer and petition.
Prayer changes things, after God has changed you. Prayer moves things, after God has moved you. And there comes a time when God gives freedom in prayer. There comes a time when, as a friend of God, we can cause Him to change His mind (this is in the Word--look at Jeremiah 42, esp. 42:10). We can know that our prayers move the hand of God.
"If the Holy Ghost doesn't move me, then I move the Holy Ghost."
Smith Wigglesworth said this. Many people refused it, or thought it was unscriptural. It probably seemed to be a prideful statement--maybe Smith Wigglesworth thought he was God.
But in reality, Wigglesworth was just a really close friend. And he knew that persistence gets things done. He knew that faith in God to carry out His Word always pays off. He knew that God's promises do not ever fail--if you stand on them, if you make them your life. We need to know what Jesus says--"If you ask for anything in My Name, so I will do it." We need to make Jesus our best friend. We need His love and His conviction resting upon us. That's when we trust Him. That's when we have boldness. And this is the way that we can have confidence in prayer.
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