Praying With Confidence

Praying With Confidence

The Apostle John is both clear and straightforward. He says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14 NIV). That's the basis of our confident expectancy that we shall receive what we ask from Him.

God's will is revealed in the Scriptures. The Bible tells us that it is His desire that:

    -the Gospel be preached to everyone (Mark 16:15)

-all men shall be saved (1 Tim. 2:4,6)

    -we pray in Jesus' name (John 14:13,14)

    -we give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:18)

    -we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33)

    -we be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16)

    -we keep His commandments (John 14:15)

We can of course extend the list but you get the point. If we want to know what pleases God, we go to His Holy Word. This explains why Paul in his epistle to the Colossians says that he had not stopped praying for God to fill them with the knowledge of His will…in order that they may live a life worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, the Lord responded by giving them a framework in which to approach God. This is what we commonly call, The Lord's Prayer. He started by telling them to address God as their Father who is in heaven and whose name is to be hallowed.

A realization that God is our Father is indeed confidence-building. That means that we can be very personal and intimate in our dealings with Him. Further, His Fatherhood should make us trust Him in all respects of our life. As a Father, He takes upon Himself the responsibility of caring and doing what is best for us, His children. The greatest manifestation of God's personhood is His Fatherhood.

"In heaven" is a phrase that should speak volumes to us. It definitively states that God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. What do these attributes mean to you and me as they relate to His Fatherhood? It means that He has all the knowledge necessary to counsel what is the wisest and best for us; all the power needed to make it happen; and, regardless of where we are, He can be there to deliver it. Isn't that wonderful? Jesus said all this in one sentence! Amazing, isn't He? This is God's worth that He wanted His disciples to comprehend that should become the foundation of their prayer life, and ours too.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven", Jesus proceeded. Sure, God is our Father but He is also King. He is Sovereign and His ways are higher than our ways. We therefore, approach His throne with a humble realization and child-like faith that we will not always get what we want because most often we ask what neither is best for us nor bring the greatest honour and glory to His name. So in that instance we say "not my will but thine be done".

Recapping, we now see that praying with confidence is praying according to God's will; consistent with God's word as revealed in the Holy Book; grounded in God's worth (who He is); and, with humble attitude to commit it to God's way.

 

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The JOURNEY, The STEPS, and The TOP

“The Climb to the Top may not be Worth Its Steps”

Goal...Target...Aspiration...Ambition.

Call it what you want but everyone has it in one form or another. That’s what you aim for – the Top – and how you get there are the Steps. The Top can be as numerous as individuals; the Steps, on the other hand, are few but more or less common to everyone.

What are some of these Steps? Let me cite a couple:

1. Deprivation
Are you forgoing something of value for the sake of getting that which you desired to achieve? If your answer is affirmative, then you are making sacrifices.

2. Discipline
Are you submitting yourself to a system of rules and training? If you are, then it is apparent that you consider it essential in your pursuit of reaching the Top.

Some may consider it essential to engage in office politics, be a team player, or make themselves indispensable as significant steps toward what they aspire for. These are harmless in themselves and may even be seen as commendable when done ethically and with proper attitude. An employee who intends to climb up the corporate ladder for instance, may find that being a team player is critical and providing added value to the firm is a solid step moving up.

When then is the climb to the Top not worth its Steps? From a purely professional perspective, when our journey towards our goal leads us to disregard uncompromising work ethics, or when the Top becomes an obsession to the detriment of camaraderie.

From the vantage point of a Christian, the Steps, the Journey, and the Top, as a whole is seen through the lens of God’s Will. The Top must be God-ordained and for His glory; the Journey embarked by faith and obedience; and , the Steps Spirit-led and consistent with Christian virtues and graces as revealed in God’s word .