Towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave these hope-filled words to his disciples:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:7–11).
From these words come two vital encouragements for prayer: access and confidence.
We Have Access
How do we have access to God? Jesus says that we come to God as Father. This means that we have been accepted by God as his children. This didn't happen because we've been such amazing people in the world. No, it has come through the saving work of our elder brother, Jesus. Through faith in him, we have been united to him in his life, death, and resurrection (cf. Rom 6:1–11). This gives us access to God as our Father (cf. Gal 4:4–7). What an astounding reality!
We Have Confidence
Why do we have confidence before God in prayer to ask, seek, and knock (Matt 7:7)? Jesus says it's because have a good Father (Matt 7:11). Not only does he promises to hear us and respond (7:7–8), but when he does he will only give us good gifs--things that we actually need. This promise shows up all throughout the New Testament. It's especially powerful in Jesus' words in John 15. There, we can do nothing part from him. Yet, when we are abiding in his through his Word and prayer, we have everything we need to live for his glory! We need only ask for it (John 15:7–8). Do you see how this gives us tremendous confidence in prayer?
Will We Pray?
Despite unprecedented access to God and confidence before him in prayer, we often don't pray as we should. Why are we hesitant? What acts like roadblocks for our prayer lives, things that are practical or spiritual?
As we wrote about in a previous article, the elders at PBF We want to follow the example and instruction of the New Testament church. Specifically, we want pray to run deep in our lives and church. Prayer should be an expression of faith and intimacy (access and confidence) that is obvious in our lives, ministry, and worship.
Praying Together
One way to encourage a change in mindset and lifestyle is through the use of the Praying Together Guides this July. These are designed to help you connect with another believer in prayer. The goal is to help you through how to spend 45 mins or more in prayer with someone else. This is not meant to be limited to July, but a jump-start to a life of praying together. (See some practical helps for this).
If you look over the guide, you'll notice that the structure is the same for each week. This is not the only way to pray with someone, but is meant to help build a rhythm that helps you worry less about the details and stay focused in prayer. Much of your pray directions are rooted in a text of Scripture, which helps us focus on God's clear desires for us. Yet everything is prayed for with this assurance: Christ is Lord. No request is too small or too great!
Please find another person (spouse or friend) and join us in praying together this July!
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