Do You Believe He Heard You?
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 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 the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
1 John 5:14-15
Prayer is a privilege. John, the apostle, gives believers a great lesson on how to have confidence in developing a lifestyle of praying to God. First, we are told to have confidence in God and all that Jesus provided for the believer through His death, burial, and resurrection.
Too often, we pray to God while wanting the answer to come from a person. “God, please let my boss give me a raise or promotion.” Even if your boss gives you a raise, it actually comes from the Lord. The Scriptures tell us every good and perfect gift comes from God, and that promotion comes from God. When we pray, we must begin with our confidence in the One who knows the end from the beginning, and that is God.
Next, we are instructed to pray or ask according to His will. Too many believers nonchalantly proclaim that they do not know the will of God. If that is the case, they do not know the Word of God. If we want answers, we must pray for things that agree with the will of God. No matter how much we beg and plead, God will not grant us things that are contrary to His heart’s desires for us. That’s not to say that we cannot force an issue or make something happen on our own out of disobedience. There are times when we think we know better than God. We pray, then if we do not like the answer, and we go ahead and do what we have harbored in our hearts.
Even in disobedience, we ask God to bless the mess we created in our lives, or we blame Him for the negative consequences that ensue after a string of poor decisions. God will help get us back on the right track, but some wrong turns take time to correct. This does not mean that God loves us any less; it means that for every action, there is a reaction.
To have our prayers answered, we must have absolute trust in the truth about God and pray according to His will. When these two things are done, we can rest assured that God heard us. Knowing that God hears us, we can expect Him to answer. The “whatever” in today’s passage of scripture is based on “anything according to His will.” Therefore, it makes no sense to go to God with desires not supported by God’s word.
As Christians, we are equipped to know the will of God, and this should help us understand that His answer will not always be the answer we want to hear. If our prayers seem to go unanswered, we don’t need to check God. We need to check our motives, whether we are praying according to God’s will, and whether we have placed our confidence in Him.
Reflection: Do you honestly believe that God hears you when you pray? If not, what things do you need to change?
Prayer: God, thank You for the ability to come to You with every burden and care. You hear and answer the prayers of the righteous when we pray according to Your will. I pray that the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart will be acceptable in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Upcoming Connect 21 Events
- Saturday Morning Prayer (Jan 13th @ 9 am at The Way Woodstock 109 Towne Lake Pkwy, Woodstock GA)
- Sunday Morning Service (Jan 14th @ 10 am at River Ridge High School)
- Prayer Masterclass, Wednesday, Jan 17th via YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@linkedupnorth)