1 John 5:14-15, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” NLT
Have you had a predicament recently that caused you some stress and anxiety? You know those circumstances that suddenly come up when least expected, and everything else stops for a bit. Fearful thoughts keep entering your mind, and you know the source of those thoughts. So what did you do? What verses did you go to, and how did you pray?
I had one of those situations this past week. Or should I say I had another one of those situations recently? 1 John 1-5 was listed on a biblical counseling exam question I was taking this week that I was working on. The apostle John wrote this book to reassure Christians in their faith, to counter false teachings, and how to achieve victory in overcoming battles is only for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who are Christians, that have become a child of God. Then I read 1 John 5:14-15, and that was just what I needed as I prayed for God to show His infinite and abundant power in a meeting I had to attend. A problem was discovered, and I was afraid I would be blamed for it. How could I have missed it, as I am normally very thorough in every detail in total diligence in every step. This is what I didn’t know in this large problem that had surfaced that had to be addressed now in this meeting that was to take place.
But I did know that I am a child of God, and that does affect my daily choices, so I needed to put off worrying and fear, Matt. 6:25-32 – Jesus said not to worry about everyday life and put on trust – 1 Peter 5:7 – giving my worries and cares in this to God which I did.
John was emphasizing in these two verses that we are to pray for what pleases God, not what pleases us when we talk to God. So, I asked God what He wanted for me in this situation. I of course, asked Him to fix it and to provide an agreeable outcome, which I could not foresee happening. I knew He heard me and would give a definite answer during that meeting, as I prayed with confidence. I also thanked Him for Romans 8:28, that He would work this out for our good, my good, which I had no idea what He would do, but believed in faith that He would provide (Jehovah Jireh).
God did abundantly more than I could have asked, as Ephesians 3:20-21 declares, for God’s power can exceed our requests and imagination, as I was trusting Him to do. Right before we walked in, my boss and the other account manager, we realized what had not been done internally that should have been done. So, we really didn’t have a problem after all, it would be fixed, we would explain this to the customer, and God blessed us throughout the whole meeting from beginning to its end. If it had gone the other way, I would have had confident faith that God was still in control, and I would have thanked and praised Him, which was also my prayer.
Dear friend, dear reader, pray with confidence that God is hearing your prayer. Ask Him to give you His thoughts and to direct you to a verse or verses that will provide you with reassurance and faith in your troubling circumstance, and what pleases Him. That is how to have doubt-free faith.
Listen to Danny Gokey – Only For A Moment (Lyric Video).