And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14
What kind of prayer can we bring to the throne of grace with confidence? Prayer in accordance with His will. How can we know we are praying in accordance with God’s will? By praying according to His Word. When we make Scriptural concerns the basis for our own prayers, we can pray with great confidence, believing that the Lord will act.
As we have seen so far in our sermon series in Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, our lives are to be about building the true house of God, the body of Christ. To that end, we are to devote ourselves to sharing the gospel with the lost that they might be saved and to ministering the gospel to the saved that they might grow in Christlikeness.
Accordingly, we have much to bring before the Lord:
- Prayers for gospel focus in everything we do (Eph 2:11-22)
- Prayers for wisdom regarding how to maximize our kingdom work (Jas 1:5-8)
- Prayers for spiritual protection and unity in the Body (Eph 4:1-3)
- Prayers for growing affection for the Lord, one another, and the lost (Eph 3:14-21)
When we pray in accordance with these biblical priorities, we can know that God hears and will answer. Prayer is routinely presented in Scripture as a primary means through which God does His work. Therefore, if we would be used by Him, we must pray (Acts 4:24-31; 2 Cor 1:11; Col 4:3-4; 1Th 5:25; 3Th 3:1; Heb 13:18).
The elders at Providence Bible Fellowship are asking all to make a priority of exercising this very grace in a corporate prayer gathering Friday, August 2, 7-9pm. If you are able to fast in preparation, please do so.
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