Would you believe that a Christian could lose confidence in prayer? Well, I contend that a Christian can. Now, for most of us we would not want to admit that we’ve lost confidence in prayer; that is perhaps because of our piousness or human pride. But a person can lose confidence in their praying. That this is true can be seen in John’s closing remarks to the community of faith gathered around him.
The apostle John wrote to restore the believers confidence in prayer. The letter of 1 John is largely written to combat false teachings that undermined the faith of believers by saying that Jesus was not fully God or by teaching that Jesus was not really human. The results of false prophets teaching false doctrine was that the joy and confidence of the believers Christian experience was being greatly disturbed. So, John wrote to restore their confidence in basic Christian certainties like prayer.
I wonder if that’s not the situation we find the church in today? Have Christians today lost confidence in prayer? When we look at attendance in mid-week prayer meetings it causes us to ask that question. When we observe the lack of persistency in praying since 9-11-01 it causes me to ask that question. Even looking at our own prayer life could cause us to ask - “Have Christians today lost confidence in prayer?” If so, John gives us encouragement towards restoring confidence in prayer.
First of all, he establishes the truth that:
I. We Need Restored Confidence In Petitionary Prayer vv.14-15
The practice of any kind of prayer is dependent upon our confidence before God. The Greek word for confidence comes from politics and has to do with the freedom of speech or the right of expression in public. It carries the idea of courage or boldness and in biblical usage acquires the meaning of confidence. It conveys the idea of a child having the freedom of speaking to his father. To restore this confidence in petitionary prayer John speaks of:
A. The Condition of Our Petitions v.14b
Verse 14b is a conditional clause indicating the condition upon which we are to pray. Whenever and whatever we pray should be according to what God has revealed to us in our relationship with Him. This could be from what He revealed through the reading of Scripture or from what He reveals through the Holy Spirit in our soul and spirit. The point is, we should pray based on the revealed will of God. We should pray based upon what we know God wants and wills for our lives, our families, His church, and His kingdom. The purpose of accomplishing the will of God on earth should ground our petition. And the will of the person praying should coincide with the will of God.
It may be that John is contrasting a youthful mistake he made in Mark 10:35-37 by asking according to what he wanted, rather than the will of God. I recall a time when I did a similar thing. God revealed His will in Bible Study through the truth: ”Understanding what I want to do through you is more important than you telling me what you want to do for me.” I then began to pray not according to His will, but mine; “Where do you want me to go?” When I should have been praying, “What do you want to do through me where I am?” Petitionary Prayer is not primarily asking God for what we want, but asking God for what He wants. To restore confidence in petitionary prayer John also speaks of:
B. The Inspiration of Our Petitions vv.14c-15
The fact that God hears us ought to inspire confidence in prayer. God is always listening. He’s more ready to hear than we are to pray. He’s more ready to hear our requests than we are a ring on the phone. He’s more ready to listen to our prayer than we are to receive a letter from the postman. Even if the answer is not immediately apparent, we can be assured God hears us and that ought to inspire us to more confident prayer.
We will be inspired with more confidence in verse 15. John is seeking to encourage us with the inspiration of assurance. The key word here is “know.” Not only do we know God hears us, but we know God answers us. It may be yes, it may be no, or it may be wait. But we can be assured that we are granted the requests which we have made of Him. God invited Solomon to ask in 1 Kings 3:5 and in verse 12 God says to Solomon, “I will do what you have asked. . . “ When God hears and grants requests we are inspired to more confident petitionary praying.
Not only do we need restored confidence in petitionary prayer, but:
II. We Need Restored Confidence in Intercessory Prayer vv.16-17
John has reassured his readers of the confidence which may be enjoyed through petitionary prayer in the presence of their Heavenly Father. Now, the possibility of boldness in conversation with God is encouraged through intercessory prayer. Confidence can be restored when we consider:
A. The Direction of Our Intercession v.16a and b
We lose confidence in prayer when we no longer love or care about our fellow believers enough to pray on their behalf. John is directing us to pray beyond ourselves. I’m the world’s worst at self-centered praying. But, we’re to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we should see a fellow Christian “sinning a sin,” persistently sinning and seeing not hearing gossip about it, we should intercede. In fact, the future tense, “he should pray” acts as a mild imperative. Our intercession should be natural and desirable at that point. A pastor friend called me as I was working on this sermon and said he had been involved in intercessory prayer for a pastor who, leading a growing and going church, just got elected to elevated convention leadership and something happened with a secretary whereupon he tendered his resignation. The point here is that my friend was interceding for a Christian brother. The direction of our intercessory prayer should be such that restoration of spiritual life may be experienced, revival may occur in their life, and vitality of Christian fellowship be enjoyed. That’s the direction of our intercession.
We also need to consider:
B. The Hesitation of Our Intercession v.16c and d
In the Jewish law and Old Testament there were specific sins punishable by death, though not the meaning here. In John’s community there were those falling away from the faith, returning to Judaism, apostatizing. Then, there were those who kept on sinning, whose lives were marked by false faith, disobedience to God’s commands and lack of love. Prayer for them might well be an exercise in futility. Most modern interpreters fall back on the “unpardonable sin” that Jesus mentioned, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the “sin unto death.”
When we look at the hesitation of our intercession, the possibility of ultimate repentance and recovery from the most determined denial of the Christian faith can never be ruled out completely. So, John doesn’t absolutely forbid intercession here, he merely abstains from commanding it. He offers some hesitation as he writes to believers who were bewildered by those who were leaving the church.
Have you had any of those members who were trouble makers, always causing conflict, you couldn’t talk to them, and even when you prayed for them they didn’t seem to change. They left your church, went down the road to the next community, then moved back. It’s not that you don’t care about their soul, it’s just that you’re hesitant to pray them back into your church. Well, there is ground for the hesitation of our intercession.
Conclusion
John concludes in v.17 by reminding us that “all wrong doing is sin” and that any one of us is capable of sin. In fact, it may just be that sin in our life, that tendency towards imperfection is the root of our lack of confidence in prayer.
This week a member of our church, Bob Riley will be inaugurated as Governor of the State of Alabama hopefully to restore some confidence in the Office of Governor. Every member of First Baptist Church ought to pray on behalf of Bob and Patsy every single day. In fact, we need to be reminded of 1 Samuel 12:23, “. . . God forbid that we should sin . . . in ceasing to pray for you.”
We need to Restore Confidence in Petitionary Prayer and We need to Restore confidence in Intercessory Prayer. So, in a final attempt to restore confidence in prayer, let me encourage you to pray with me as the Psalmist did in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me O God, and know me. Try me and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Let us pray!
