Have you ever wondered if God hears you? Seriously, when something incredibly important is on the line, like the life of someone you love dearly, we always hope God hears our prayers and will answer them the way we want them answered. We hope God can hear our prayers for help with sins that we cannot seem to let go. We hope God hears our prayers for our families and the troubles we face or even when our income drops due to loss of a job of wages being cut. Don’t you just get tired of “hoping” God will hear you pray? Personally I am tired of “hoping” for this and “hoping” for that and hoping that God will listen to me for five minutes. If this is all God is made of then I do not need that. I can hope all on my own without God in the picture. Isn’t there any assurance that God actually hears us? Even better would be that we could be assured that we will get an answer.
Sometimes you may wonder like I have in the past if posture or the way you sit or act while praying makes a difference. Some men debated this very subject. “"The proper way for man to pray," said Deacon Lemuel Keyes; "The only proper attitude is down upon his knees." "Nay, I should say the way to pray," said Reverend Doctor Wise, "Is standing straight with outstretched arms with rapt and upturned eyes." "Oh, no, no, no," said Elder Snow, "such posture is too proud." A man should pray with eyes fast-closed and head contritely bowed." "It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front. With both thumbs pointing to the ground," said Reverend Doctor Blunt."
"Last year I fell in Hodgkin’s well headfirst," said Cyril Brown. "With both my heels a-stickin’ up, my head a-pointing’ down; And I done prayed right then and there; best prayer I ever said, The prayin’est prayer I ever prayed, a-standin’ on my head."”
Posture has little effect on God hearing us. Even beyond posture, the scriptures do speak of an assurance we can have. We can know that our prayers have been heard in heaven and we can even be assured that God will answer. 1 John 5:14-17 covers one of the greatest benefits we can ever have from our relationship with Christ. Remember that this entire book is about having a relationship with Christ. This part in particular refers to our relationship with one specific benefit and the exact how in applying that benefit to our lives. John begins this piece of scripture in verse 14 with the words “This is the confidence which we have before Him…” John tells these Christians that they can and should have confidence in God. So much confidence that when we speak to God, we can know that he hears us. We can pray with confidence. Since we have a relationship with Christ, we can pray with confidence. Let’s analyze this text a bit and see exactly how we can have this confidence and what we should do with it.
If we ask, he hears. – V. 14
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
This piece of the text refers to an absolute certainty about the outcome of a situation. Anyone who has a relationship with Christ has access to God. Anyone who has a relationship with Christ can speak to God in prayer and God will hear. This is an amazing promise; God hears his children pray. When someone accepts Christ as savior, they become co-heirs (brothers and sisters) to Christ and sons of God. 1 John 3:1 confirms this idea when it says, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called the children of God; and such we are.” If a child of God asks something of God, he or she can have absolute confidence that they will be heard. However, there is one catch. If they ask, it must be according to God’s will. How do we know God’s will? Romans 12:2 tells us that any person can prove God’s will by having a mind like His. The more a person becomes like Christ, the more they will understand God’s will. When you walk near God’s heart, you will know what he wants. If a Christian who walks with God prays according to God’s will, God will absolutely hear and answer them.
Tell me of one other place where you can have that kind of confidence? Even Fort Knox isn’t that secure. We find security in so many things such as money, relationships, and insurance. You know, so far as I can tell, car insurance has never replaced a life. House insurance has never replaced a life. Even life insurance has never replaced a life. Money cannot replace life either. Money disappears just as quickly as it appears. Relationships can fall apart if we rely too heavily upon them. Why? God has a place in life and each time we try to circumvent His way of doing things; those ways fail miserably. Only in God can we have confidence; especially absolute confidence.
How has your prayer life fared lately? Has it felt weak or as if you aren’t being heard? Does God feel distant? You should probably check two things; 1) do you have a relationship with Christ? And 2) are you praying according to God’s will? Just saying you believe in Jesus isn’t enough. Just coming to church isn’t enough. Just being baptized into Christ isn’t enough. You must build a relationship with Him. You must get to know Him better through His word. You have to share your heart and life with Him in prayer to build that relationship. Secondly, you should check the motives of your heart in the prayer. Are they absolutely selfish? Are they all about you? Do they reflect God’s attitudes and mindset? Although our posture has little to do with God hearing us, our attitude when praying makes a big difference.
If he hears, he will answer. – V. 15
“And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
Here we find a second confidence or assurance we can have. If we know God hears us in whatever we ask, we know that he will answer. He will give us what we have requested of Him. This sounds slightly different than what was said in the last verse. Didn’t the last verse say that we should pray in accordance with God’s will? The ones John wrote to may have understood that just as God’s will can be very specific, it can also be general. God tells Christians to do many general things such as “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” That is pretty generic as a guideline for what we should do. Do good things. Yet, God can be very specific with His commands such as specifically taking care of the widows and children. God’s will varies in strictness. What should be noted about this verse is the absolute nature by which God will answer. He will absolutely answer a prayer and the person praying will receive an answer for what they have asked.
Now, this verse never once says He will answer it the way we want Him too. I have prayed for a very long time for my family although it has waned over time and yet it may seem that God has not answered. He has indeed answered my requests. I know that I will not be the one who leads them to Christ if this will ever happen. Christ couldn’t lead the people in His hometown to understand. So I continue to pray that God will send someone to them that they will hear. He didn’t audibly speak to me but I still know the answer was not now. Someday I still hope that someone will reach them.
We can pray for healing of someone without going outside the bounds of His will. We can pray for monetary help for someone struggling with finances; even if it is ourselves. We can pray for those who have begun to walk away from God. We can pray for many things and we have an absolute assurance and confidence that God in heaven will hear and will also answer our requests. Now, sometimes the answer may be totally different than what we expect. Sometimes we may need help financially and instead of money, God sends someone or something to teach you how to budget. You may need to work something out with someone and you may pray that they would come to their senses and then God opens up your eyes and heart. He may end up showing you how you failed and must change. Never the less, we have an absolute guarantee that God will answer our prayers when He hears them. We know he hears them because we have a relationship with Him.
If we pray, pray for those who have fallen. – V. 16-17
“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.”
We know God will hear us because we have a relationship with Him. We know he will answer us even though we may not get the answer we want. He can say no and he can say wait just as easily as he can say yes. Now, what can we do with our new found connection with God? Since every Christian has a direct line to God in prayer, we have some responsibility in how we use such capabilities. Let’s decipher these verses. If anyone sees another Christian committing a sin not leading to death… wait what is a sin not leading to death. Romans says that sin leads to death. All sin leads to death and yet here it says there are sins not leading to death. Yet, it also says here that there is a sin leading to death. Let’s unwrap this according to the context of the book. When this book refers to sin, it refers to two types: continuous sin and one time sin. The sin leading to death is most likely the continuous sin. Sin a person continually does regardless of consequences. The sin not leading to death is most likely a one time failure. So these Christians are told to pray for someone who fails just once in an area but not to pray for someone who continually abandons Christ and goes after sin.
This is just one of several feasible explanations of these verses. These two verse are two of the hardest to understand in the New Testament because John gives no clues to what he means by a sin leading to death and a sin not leading to death. However, if we keep with the context of the book, this would be the most likely interpretation. Even in this we know what we should pray for… those who have fallen into sin. We already know to pray for each other and now we know one specific event at which we should pray. If we know of a brother or sister in Christ who has fallen into sin, pray for them. However, if they have chosen to constantly sin, do not pray for them because God has let them go to their desires for sins. Hopefully they will turn back to God.
Now, you know God listens to His children and you know that He will answer His children. You also know that we are to specifically speak to God on behalf of those who are struggling with sins in their lives. I have a question for you. Many of you probably wish the preaching were just a little better. Have you prayed for me and the sermons I prepare? Have you prayed that God would help me become better minister? Have you prayed for your elders to help them make wise decisions? You expect me to preach well and them to make wise decisions. You had better be praying for us before you start complaining about anything. Now, I haven’t heard too much but I have heard whispers and I expect you to take it up with God first and then take it up with whoever you have a beef with second. Have you had trouble at work or with your spouse? Have you prayed to God Almighty to help you and them? Have you prayed for your kids recently?
You have no excuse whatsoever for not praying for each and every single person around you now. You have no excuse for not praying for your family and your church. You can’t say that you think God won’t listen. He promises to hear you if you pray as a child of God to Him. He promises to answer you as long as he hears you. I don’t know about you but I no longer “hope” God hears me. I no longer hope and wonder if God will ever answer me when I pray. I know my God is faithful to listen and answer my prayers even when I do not understand. I know He answers even when I don’t think He will. I know that I can trust God to take care of every circumstance. Sometimes it is tough to trust because the problem seems hopeless but nothing is hopeless with God. No situation is too difficult for God. You have no excuse for not praying. What will you do with the wonderful gift God has given you? Maybe you don’t know Christ and yet you want to be heard. It’s time to get to know Him. All you need to know is that you have seen and that Christ died to clean up your sins. You have failed morally and only God can cure that failure. He says you must believe in Him, confess that you believe in Him, turn away from your sins, and obediently follow Him in baptism. You are accepting to become a child of God, a Christian. Any child of God can be heard by God. Let’s exercise this wonderful gift with a prayer time.
1) Praise God for his forgiveness
2) Pray for the Church
3) Pray for your family
4) Pray for your ministers
5) Pray for your elders
6) Thank God for listening
