POWER IN PRAYER

Concerning prayer, when all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done. How many sermons have we heard about prayer? Have many studies have we done about prayer?  These are of value to be sure. Yet, as James warned us, we must be “doers of the Word and not hearers only,” (James 1:22). John states three principles in 1 John 5:14-15 that must be practiced to experience power in prayer.

First, we must ASK, “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.” [emphasis added]. James also told us, “you do not have because you do not ask,” (James 4:2c). Unasked prayers are unanswered prayers. Sin is at its depraved heart about the ego. We see in center of sin the letter, “I.”  When we pray, we are not informing God of that which He does not know.  Rather, we are admitting that we know we need Him and cannot handle things on our own. He is God and we are not. As a preacher, I have found it easier to speak to men about God than to speak to God about men. But, my preaching will be without power if I do not seek Him.

Second, we must ABIDE, “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 we asked of Him.” [emphasis added]. Abiding in the will of God—being in submission to it—brings power in prayer. We are linked to Christ and can ask anything for we only want what He wills. Surely, John recalled these words from the lips of Jesus, ‬‬“If you ABIDE in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you,” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬‬, emphasis added). The will of God is expressed in the Word of God—a Book of “exceedingly great and precious promises,” (2 Pet 1:4). As we abide in that Word so it abides in us, then we find ourselves abiding in Christ and in His will, which far from limiting our prayers, liberates our prayers to ask for absolutely anything. 

Third, we must ANTICIPATE, “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.”  Our anticipation is to receive an answer. Faith is the foundation on which powerful praying rests. Our confidence in God’s power to answer and purpose for answering flips the switch that unleashes the energy of Omnipotence! Man says, “I will believe it when I see it,” but God responds, “You’ll see it when you believe it!” Our Lord—who cannot lie—stated it, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive,” (‭‭Matt.‬ ‭21‬:‭22‬‬). I suspect that one day when I stand before the Lord, I will be disappointed in knowing that I did not ask God for too much, but too little. He has limitless power, but my experience of that will be limited by my unbelief. Some of the most shocking words in Scripture are these: “Now [Jesus] could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.” (Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬-‭6‬). 

May we fervently and faithfully ask, abide, and anticipate power in prayer!