1John 5: 13 – 15
This confidence that John speaks about is a direct result of our assurance … in other words
Our assurance can be seen in the confidence we
Express by approaching the Father
The Truth that God hears our prayers was stated in 1 John 3: 22 this verse in 1John 5: 13 - 15 is not clarifying that truth it is addressing the condition in which our prayers are heard. I will get into that a little more but first I would like to address a few miss conceptions people have regarding prayer.
1) Can we go directly to God?
Some religions would have you believe that you need to direct your prayers to a saint or the mother of our Savior and it is those folks who will deliver your message to God for you. In 1John 5: 14 John clearly says “this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” as a child of God because of the work of Jesus we KNOW we have eternal life and this confidence is seen in the very act of approaching God. The veil is torn we do not need a messenger to deliver our requests to the father we can go to him directly because of the work of Jesus we have been adopted into the family and we can talk to daddy anytime ~ actually we are encouraged to talk to him ALL the time 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18 says rejoice always, pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
2) I prayed, didn't get what I asked for so God didn't answer
This is a big one! If you have felt this way trust me you are not alone I would venture to say that this little twist on scripture in the hearts of humanity is one of Satan’s biggest tools in keeping us from seeking God in prayer.
Ill: I cant even begin to tell you how many times Matt and I have piled all the kids into our huge van, been out running errands and from the very back of the van comes the voice of our daughter … Daddy! Daddy! Did you see that pink car? I want a car like that! Can we get one please Daddy please! To which I am pleased to announce her daddy said NO! … it does not mean that her inquiry failed or landed on deaf ears it just means daddy said no
Prayer is an invitation for communication not an opportunity to command God. Don't loose sight of the true gift… it is not that we get stuff the true gift is actually being able to go to our father confessing our every need and knowing that he hears every word.
3) Other people seem to get what they ask for but I don’t think God is listening to me.
We have a tendency to view Christians on different levels. Possible examples would be: God hears the pastors prayers cuz he is closer to God than I am … or … Of course you have seen answered prayers you have been a Christian longer than me … God tells us in Galatians 3: 28 there is neither Jew, nor Gentile, neither slave nor free nor is their male or female for you are all one in Christ. We put this on ourselves God is not the one to make these separations when it comes to our prayer time with him. We are the ones that judge and categorize like this.
Ill: My year and a half son will come running from the other side of the room if he sees someone else sitting on my lap, he gets so upset not because he loves me so much he is worried they are hurting me but in his little mind he can not understand how I can love both him and them
I think we all have a tendency to do this exact thing ~ Oh God loves you more than me … Oh he listens to you but I don’t think he listens to me and ALL of this is a lie! God loves us equally and personally. He hears ME, He loves ME He knows the number of hairs on my head as compared to the number on YOURS meaning he has counted BOTH! Don’t ever allow the enemy to cause you to think that you hold any less value to God than any of his other kiddos he loves YOU, ME ALL of US deeply, passionately and eternally! To believe anything else is to believe a lie.
4) People tend to see God as the “Great Piñata” in the sky
meaning they swing this “stick” around hoping that if they could just get God’s attention he would just bust open at the seams and pour out blessings on them and when they get sick of swinging then they get mad at God cuz they see “everyone else seems to get what they want but God never answers my prayers (meaning he doesn't give you what you want) and they see what looks like the wicked in this world getting all the “good stuff” while they sit and suffer.
I want you to see something, will you turn with me to Psalm 73 before we read this Psalm together I want you to understand who wrote it. I am not sure how your bible is written but in the NIV right under the words Psalm 73 it says “A Psalm of Asaph” who is Asaph? 1 Chronicles 6: 31 –32 and v39 says Asaph was a worship leader. (Read Psalm 73)
Do you notice in v1 – 3 that “he” Asaph almost slipped because he took his eyes off the Lord and began to covet the things other people had, grumbling about what he had or didn't have. Any of us ever do that?
Look at verses 15 – 17 he didn't understand all of it v16 but when he prayed v17 he saw the one thing that mattered.
John tells us in this epistle (1 John 5: 14) that if we ask anything according to … his … will, he hears us
The TRUTH is God hears all our prayers (1 John 3: 22) and the condition is that the request be According to HIS will
This is the SAME will to which Jesus himself submitted to. The SAME will which authors our very life the SAME will that has provided our eternal salvation!
The key most often over looked is:
Continual submission to his will joined with a continual increase in knowledge of that will (through scripture) our prayers will be both corrected and directed. If we know his will thoroughly and submit to is heartily it would be impossible for us to ask anything for the Spirit or Body outside of God’s perfect will
This simple truth just clarifies our total need to be in God’s word. We ARE saved by the perfect work of Christ and because of that God DOES hear our prayers our goals is to pray according to HIS will and that can only be accomplished if we are in HIS word.
Scripture is God’s way of communicating with us and prayer is our way of communicating with God the two combined unleash the power of God in our lives. Don’t limit God to be a genie in a bottle … Let God be GOD and remember you are NOT seek his will ask for his will and submit to his sovereignty it is in this place that peace beyond all understanding rests.
