Pray with Confidence

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 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.” 1 John 5:14-15

“I know God hears my prayers,” you may say, “but how do I know my requests are according to His will?” That sentiment can do more to undermine our confidence in prayer than any other thought. If we knew God’s will to begin with, we reason, we would have no problem trusting God for the answer. Actually, we know more about God’s will than we think.

It is God’s will to give thanks in all things (1 Thess. 5:18). Do you have a grateful heart no matter you circumstance? Giving thanks acknowledges His sovereignty and expresses a steadfast faith in Christ.

It is God’s will to walk in purity and holiness (1 Thess. 4:3). Do you walk on a thin edge of immorality, giving place to illegitimate thoughts? Don’t.

It is God’s will to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). The verb tense emphasizes such filling as a continuous action, stressing our complete dependence on the Spirit and our unceasing need for His help and guidance.

Prayer is precisely the place where we discover the will of God. We seek His mind, sift through His Word, and thank Him that God is faithfully at work in our lives.

“I delight to do Your will, O my God...” Psalm 40:8