Power in Prayer Time

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(1 John 5:14-15)

King James Version Chapter 5

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

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

In the modem day church prayer seems to be the untapped resource and the unused power. Rarely do we find praying saints and seldom do we ever find praying congregations.

If the Bible teaches us that there is power in prayer, and it does, then why are the people of God not praying? In the context the word of God wants the child of God to have certainty about his salvation and now we learn that we can have certainty about our supplication.

NOTE: Prayer is the exclusive right of the child of God.

Prayer is the means that moves the hand that moves the world.

We need to know that there is power in prayer time. John proclaimed that God hears and answers prayers that are prayed in His will. There is real power in Biblical praying. Is there real power in your praying? These verses give us some reasons that there is power in prayer.

I. Our Confidence in Prayer. (Vs. 14)

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

The word of God teaches us that we can know that we are saved and that we can know that God hears our prayers.

The child of God, saved by the grace of God, can have confidence in the presence of God.

Confidence: (parresia) means ‘free and fearless confidence, boldness, assurance.’ We have access to the throne of God anytime and anyplace.

Hebrews 10:19, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,” We have boldness and confidence to take our request to God.

Notice: Our confidence is not in man, but in the Master.

I learned at an early age that man will let you down, but we can have confidence in the Lord.

As a little boy I learned that sometimes our confidence can be broken and our trust can be shaken. Thank God for Jesus, because we can always have confidence in Him.

What is the confidence that we have in Him? The Bible says, “that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” We can have confidence in Him, but there is a condition to our confidence.

We must ask according to His will! John says that if we ask anything! Prayer covers a multitude of areas as long as it is the will of God.

Prayer is putting all my cards on the table and leaving the final decision to Him. Prayer is submitting my will to His perfect will.” It is the will of God that we pray in the will of God. Matthew Henry said, “It is not fit that we should ask what is contrary either to His majesty and glory."

There is power in prayer that is in the will of God. If there is power in prayer in the will of God wouldn’t it do us good to find out the will of God and carry out the will of God in our lives? Jerry Vines said, “We must desire God’s will, discern God’s will, and do God’s will.” If we do not desire God’s will we can never have power in prayer. When we do not discern God’s will we can not pray in God’s will and when we know the will of God, but do not do it that also hinders our prayers.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Most of the time we can determine God’s will by reading the Word, listening to the Spirit, and discerning the circumstances around us. Prayer keeps a Christian in the will of God and living in the will of God keeps a Christian in the place of blessing and service.”

Some of us do not have power in prayer because we really do not believe that God can do what His word says He can do. Some times we get discouraged in our praying because we see no answer. Maybe it’s because we are not praying in the will of God.

A man was talking to a little boy about Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus. And he said to the little boy, “And what would you have asked from Jesus if you had been blind?” The little child, with a glowing face responded, ‘Oh, I should have asked Him for a nice little dog with a collar and chain, to lead me about.” How often do we ask for the blind man’s dog instead of the seeing man’s eyes.

When we pray in the will of God we can have confidence that God hears us. We know that we can carry anything and everything that’s in the will of God to the throne of God. There’s great power in prayer! Let us not grow weary in praying, but let us have confidence in the Lord.

Some of us can identify with the words of this hymn:

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

The word of God teaches us that we can have confidence in prayer and our confidence is in Him. Do you have confidence in Jesus? Does your prayer life reflect a person that is totally dependent on Him? In verse 14 we’ve noticed our confidence in prayer.

Next, we see:

II. Our Connection in Prayer. (Vs. 15)

A. Gives Assurance in Prayer. (Vs. 15a)

“And if we know that He hears us,”

When we pray in the will of God we can have assurance that God hears our prayers.

Only through Jesus can we come to God. Prayer is not a burden to us, but a blessing for us.

Warren Wiersbe said, “We are not beggars; we are children coming to a wealthy Father who loves to give His children what they need.”

There is power in prayer and we can know that God hears us. We can have assurance in prayer.

Our connection in prayer gives assurance in prayer. Next we note:

B. Gives Attainment of the Petition. (Vs. 15b)

“whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Whatever that is prayed in the will of God we can be certain that God has answered and granted our request.

Again John speaks a word of certainty. We can know that we have the petitions.

John says that whatever we ask. There is no petition to great and no petition to small.

John gives strong words of confidence in saying that we know that we have the petitions that we ask of Him. H.A. Ironside wrote, “We may not get the answer to our petitions immediately, we may not see our prayers answered on the moment, but if in accordance with the will of God, if in fellowship with God as we bring the petition, we may be definitely assured that He has heard and has answered, and that sometime, somewhere, we shall see the answer.”

When we pray in accordance to God’s will we know that we have the petitions that we ask of Him. We have attainment of the petitions.

Has God ever answered any of your prayers? Answer to prayer should always motivate us to pray. God does answer prayer and He does it in His time and in His way. Let me give you 4 ways that God answers prayer.

Sometimes the answer is direct.

Sometimes the answer is delayed.

Sometimes the answer is different.

Sometimes the answer is denied.

Sometimes we get a direct answer from God. These are the best kind for me. Isaiah 65:24, “Before they call, I will answer.”

Sometimes we get a delayed answer from God. These are harder to wait on. We sometimes begin to waver and doubt that God heard when we are called upon to wait for the answer. EX: Jesus waited to come to Bethany while Lazarus was sick. Mary and Martha sent to Him and requested that He come, but Jesus waited. Then when Jesus did come Lazarus had been dead 4 days. Jesus answered Mary and Martha’s prayer and He raised Lazarus from the dead and gave him back to his sisters well.

Sometimes we get a different answer from God. Sometimes God answers our prayers in a different way that we could ever think or imagine.

A Christian man was once shipwrecked on an island and he was the lone survivor. He began to pray that God would send a ship to rescue him. Every time a ship came by he would try to flag them down but nothing worked.

He would take his tattered shirt and wave it but no one on the ships saw him. The man built him a little hut for protection from the elements. The little hut was all the man had. One day the man saw a ship and he went to try to flag it down but to no avail. As he turned he noticed that his little hut was on fire and begin to bum quickly.

The man thought to himself that the only thing that he had left was now gone. About that time he heard the horn on the ship blowing. He ran down to the beach and there were men to rescue him. The man said to the sailors, ‘I didn’t think you saw my signal.’ The sailors said, ‘Not see your signal? Man we could have seen a fire and smoke like that for miles.”

Sometimes God sends answers to prayer in a different form.

Sometimes we get an answer of denial from God. God knows best and He will not grant nothing to us that will harm us or to bring reproach or dishonor to His name. God wants us to pray and to pray in His will and then we can see the power of God released.

Our connection in prayer is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone makes it possible for us to pray. FACT: We are never to pray for something that would deny His word, dishonor His name, or discredit His work. Is there power in prayer time in your life? Do you pray according to the will of God? We can not truly pray with power if we do not daily live for the Lord. Sin will hinder our prayers! God wants us to pray and He wants us to have confidence in coming to Him as a child to their father. COME TO JESUS AND LEARN TO WAIT UPON THE Lord.

The Jack Andrews Expository Studies - Understanding 1 John.