Throughout the pages of God’s Word, we are given clear commands to pray, and we are given specific powerful examples of answered prayer. God’s Word gives us wonderful promises that when we pray as God’s children, He hears and responds to our requests.
First John 5:14–15 says…
And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 that we have asked of him.
Earlier in 1 John 3:21–22, we find another promise…
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
These are wonderful promises from God. But notice what we’re told in 1 John 5:14. It says that if you ask anything according to His will, then you will have the request that you have asked of Him.
You see, God has some conditions for asking and receiving. I want to examine the three conditions for having prayers that prevail.
We must come with a sincere heart.
As it says in 1 John 3:21, if you have a clear conscience, if your heart does not condemn you, if you are living in obedience to the commands of God and your desire is to please Him, then you shall ask anything and you will receive from Him.
Why would a clear conscience and clean heart be a condition? Because unconfessed, unrepentant sin prevents us from confidently praying, from prevailing in prayer. In fact, sin that we’ve never dealt with in our lives cuts off communication with God completely.
In Psalm 66:18 David says…
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
So what do we need to do if there’s anything clogging the channel of prayer in our life? First John 1:9 gives the answer…
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Cleansing and forgiveness is available, but we must come with sincere hearts.
We must also come with a surrendered will.
Again, 1 John 5:14 reminds us if we pray “anything according to his will,” we will have what we ask.
Maybe you’re thinking that this is the fine print of the whole promise of prayer, because you want what you want and God may not want what you want.
It’s worthwhile to point out that God’s will is what you would want if you really knew what you wanted. God’s will is always good and perfect and acceptable. That’s why we must pray for God’s will, desire God’s will, delight in God’s will.
Psalm 37:4 says…
Delight yourself in the Lord, And he will give you the desires of your heart.
So when you pray, you should be praying God’s way, not your way. Jesus taught us this truth in the model prayer, Matthew 6:10:
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
Now how is the will of God done in heaven? The angels do the will of God perfectly, fervently, immediately, eagerly, and constantly.
Prayer, it has been said, is not changing God’s mind, but finding God’s mind. Prayer is not getting my will done in heaven, it is getting God’s will done on earth.
So, whether I’m praying for healing or praying for a house, I’m praying in the will of God.
Finally, not only do prayers that prevail require a sincere heart and a surrendered will, they require…
A steadfast obedience.
Look at 1 John 3:21–22 once more…
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
Prayer is not a substitute for obedience, nor is prayer an excuse for laziness.
Often in Scripture, prayer and evangelism are connected. The people of God would pray and God would fill them, then they would go in the name of Jesus and share their faith. They would serve and work and be a part of the answer, the solution to the problems that were all around them.
You see prayer is not only the answer, it makes us a part of the answer.
That’s why we need to arise from the place of prayer and with momentum move forward in spiritual service in obedience to God. Our feet are moved to action when we pray.
People are hurting, people are helpless, they’re crying out for help. If we turn a deaf ear to those who are crying out to us, then how can we expect God to answer our prayers? The Father cares about people who need Him. God cares about hurting people.
It’s a spiritual fact that when we obey God, if we do what He tells us to do, He says He will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that we won’t even be able to contain.
God wants to do so much more in us and through us and for us, but so often we’re cutting Him off by our own indifference, by our own indolence in spiritual service of ministry.
So, are you prevailing in prayer? Or do you feel like you are talking to yourself, your prayers bouncing off the ceiling?
Come to God with a clean heart, a surrendered will, and hands and feet willing to obey Him and do what He calls you to do in the world. When you do, then you’ll have the confidence that if you ask anything according to His will, you will have the request that you have ask of Him.
This is the life of abundance that Jesus wants to give you. You can learn more about how to live your life as Jesus intends with the newest edition of my devotional Life According to Jesus, which comes as my thanks for your support of PowerPoint this month.
This will point to the same LP as the e-appeal for the premium
