Praying Confidently

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, 
if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:14 

We pray with power because we believe in the power of prayer.  We need to embrace that there is a difference when a believer prays and when an unbeliever prays.  There is a prayer that we as believers pray that changes things.

Key word:  confidence  

Why would I pray to and believe in someone in whom I have no confidence?  We go to those whom we believe can do what we need.  It is an insult to God to talk to Him and not believe that He can do what we ask Him to do.

There are 3 scenarios for unanswered prayers:

›  Either we are not praying,

›   Either we are not praying with confidence or

›   We’re not praying the right prayers.

We need to understand the power of prayer.   Prayer is not about selfish desires, anger, attitudes, or who or what you’re mad at.  We, as believers, must exercise and walk in the power of prayer.  Our prayers should be aligned with God’s divine will, not even the permissible will.  The permissible is what God allows because we wanted it.  We face the consequences of our actions for this because God is not obligated to protect people, things or situations outside of His will.  Satan has territorial rights.  Anything that is not in God’s will belongs to Satan.   There is no need to pray if we don’t believe that something is going to happen.  Our confidence should be in God and not in man or material things.  Make this your “Crutch Removal Season”. 

We pray according to God’s will, not our will.  However most times we want God to honor our will.  Our pray should be for God to allow us to learn from the test, not for Him to deliver us from the test.  There is strength in the test.  Everything is not easy to go through or learn from but it is beneficial to us.

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.  1 John 5:15  

Why would you talk to a God that you don’t believe hears you? Since I’m praying in confidence, I know that I have the petitions I desired of Him.  

  

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.  Acts 17:28  

If I am in God, how can I ask for something outside of Him?  If you are dwelling in the secret place, your petitions should be that of the spirit.  

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalms 91:1

If I am in God and God is in me then I ask nothing outside of God. 

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  John 15:7  

When we’re praying, are we praying in Christ? 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13

What happens when you do things and it doesn’t work or doesn’t happen?  Is it that I did it in my own strength?  Anything done in Christ does not fail!  There is no failure in Christ. 

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  Deuteronomy 31:6

I can do all things “Through Christ”.   Theme:  Walk through - I am in Him - He is in me - the Holy Ghost runs through me.  The power of God flows through me.  If we get out of God, there is no flow.  Our prayers must flow through us and the conduit that it flows through us must be that of a spiritual vessel because the prayers are going to a spiritual God.  When you get in the spirit, the spirit will talk. 

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.    Romans 8:26

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  Jude 20  

How do we as Christians prayer?  We pray in the Holy Ghost; according to His word and in expectation that when we conclude our prayers it shall be done. 

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.  Psalms 50:10 

We cannot reduce God down to a human.  I have confidence that no matter what happens, I am going to be in God’s will and know that nothing could have happened except He allowed it.   We pray and praise our way through every situation!

We don’t pray for believers, we pray with them.  We all should know how to pray for ourselves.  

In order to operate in the power of prayer, you have to know the word of God.   We pray according to God’s word.  If we pray according to God’s word, we will not pray according to our flesh.  Are your desires linked to God?   Wait on God to get what He has for you.  

Patience and experience, tempered by affliction gets you 

where God wants you to be.

Stop trying to do things outside of the strength of God.  Everything is based on the word of God.  The word strengthens our inner man. 

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  Ephesians 3:16 

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Matthew 26:41

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.  I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.  2 Corinthians 12:9-11  

God’s grace gives us strength for the day.  This is what new mercy is; strength for the day.  Prayer prepares us for the things to come.  When we are in God and His word is in us, it is His word that provides the answer.  But if the word is not in you, what is going to come up? 

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.  Luke 6:45

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  James 1:19  

The power of prayer gives you the wisdom of when to speak and when not to speak.  You don’t have to speak everything you think. 

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.  Colossians 4:6  

Don’t let people rush you into a response.  There is nothing wrong with taking the time to pray first.  We want the power but we also need the integrity of the ministry. 

God has granted us the permission to be able to walk in the power of prayer.  Jesus took time to pray.  God has assented to our calling; to be in relationship with us, to allow us to be who we are and who we hope to be.  He has given His permission to be who He called you to be.

God is a god of relationships and He is jealous. 

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  Exodus 20:5

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:  Exodus 34:14

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.   Isaiah 42:8  

“It is believed when we experience the power of God, we sense God’s assent to our seeking and realize that God has been reaching out to us all along.”

The power of prayer is the power that comes to us when we realize that God can be our point of reference in all confusion.  Any news – go to God!  Who is your point of reference in bad news?  Go to God first.

There is nothing wrong with counsel from your pastor but make sure He is praying for you.   Jesus prayed for Peter. 

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  Luke 22:31 

Jesus prayed that Peter’s strength remain during his testing.   Don’t pray people out, pray that they don’t fail in the test. 

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  Ephesians 4:14  

We have to stay prayed up.  The power of prayer will alert us of things to come. 

   

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12  

Prayer changes things; know the signs:

     ®   Red light:           stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.  Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary situations.
 

      ®  Yellow light:      Proceed with caution.  Watch and go very slow, don’t rush.  Listen to hear what God is saying.  Every open door is not of God and every closed door is not the enemy; discern the difference.
 

      ®  Green light:       Go and God is with you!

In prayer, our hearts and minds are focused on the eternal truths of God.  In prayer our minds must be on the word of God.  We pray according to the word of God.  Prayer keeps us from the fickle truths of human knowledge.  There are somethings that we hear that is true but not the truth of God. 

Prayer is the constant renewal of our perspective.  It opens our eyes, extends our horizons, sheds light into the darkness of our fears and sorrows, our hopes and joys, our shames and pride.   The power of prayer is real and palpable; which means it is alive.

Take your situation to God and come out with an answer.  Through our prayers, God strengthens us.  Pray over your own life and what you see that is not right.  Prayer will preserve you.  Put God first.  

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6  

Grow up in God.  Everything we need can be found in God.  We may never understand all of why God does what He does but if we believe that He is in it, we know that something is coming out of it.   

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.   2 Peter 3:18

Excerpts from Word Enrichment

Bishop Joel C. Lofton

Biblical Studies


10/18/18

04/01/20