Teach Me to Pray - Week #32: Our Boldness in Prayer

"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." I John 5:14,15

The apostle John is giving us the basis for confidence in prayer when he says, by the Holy Spirit, that whatever we ask God in accordance to His will is heard by God; and if we know that He hears us, then we have the assurance that we have what we have asked for.

There are two things I want to point out here:

1. It's possible to know the will of God but we need to make the effort to find that out. Without this firm in our hearts, we'll never be able to pray with confidence and faith.
2. There are general promises in the Word of God concerning His people that we must take hold of by faith and apply to the circumstances of our lives. Comprehension of God's will for each of our lives is spiritually discerned, not simply a matter of logic. "Herein is the wisdom of the saints, to know this special will of God for each of us according to the measure of grace given us...It is to communicate this wisdom that the Holy Spirit dwells in us." In other words, we need both the Word and the Spirit to know the will of the Father for our particular situation.

For example, if you're praying for a family member who needs an encounter with God, either for salvation or for the fullness of His life to be actively at work in him/her, you can have a measure of confidence that this is the will of the Father because we know from His Word that He wants all to enter into their destiny in Him.

However, greater confidence comes through waiting before the Lord in prayer and humility to hear His heartbeat for this particular person and entering into His zeal and burden and passion for that one. We also grow in confidence through wrestling with God over the issue and genuinely seeking Him out and asking the hard questions while remaining in a posture of worship, which is a posture of submission. The psalmist and Job didn't hesitate to ask 'why?' and to argue their cases in their attempt to understand circumstances that made no sense. Jesus Himself cried 'why?' as He faced indescribable darkness and confusion on the cross.

All of this slowly builds confidence in God as we genuinely grow to understand His purposes and ways; we are learning to have a real relationship with Him rather than a religious relationship in which we say the right words but our spirit is closed down in the midst of the pain of the circumstances. If we will ask Him, He'll come and gently help us open our spirit to Him to help us trust once again and to pray with confidence.

Murray says, "Believe that you canknow if your prayer is according to God's will. Live day by day with the anointing of the Spirit that teaches all things. Then you will understand how the Father's love longs to have His child know His will and to grant the petitions he has asked of Him. 'This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us' (I John 5:14)"
"A great deal of the blessing that God wills for His people never comes to them...Prayer is the power that brings to pass that which otherwise would not take place." As we abide in Him and He in us, we can ask whatever we wish and it will be given!

I encourage you this week to set your heart to ask for something impossible (that's what God specializes in). Ask with confidence, having God's promises in His Word and the Spirit's personal "yes!" backing it up. Wrestle with God for understanding of His ways and purposes while worshipping Him in the midst of unanswered questions. Our boldness in prayer isn't based on a feeling or a style of prayer but on our ongoing union with Jesus and the knowledge of His will.

Lord Jesus, teach us to pray!