The Key to Effective Praying

A tavern was being built in a town that until recently had been dry. A group of Christians in a certain church opposed this and began an all night prayer meeting, asking God to intervene. Lightning struck the tavern building, and it burned to the ground. The owner brought a lawsuit against the church, claiming they were responsible. The Christians hired a lawyer, claiming they were not responsible. The judged said, “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”

Sometimes we can approach God with a sense of a lack of assurance, which can show up even in our prayer life if we are not spiritually vigilant. In our lesson today, the apostle John had to deal with this issue in his epistle that bears his name, 1 John. He wrote to his audience that they could have confidence that God would answer their prayers. Likewise, he would also reveal that “the key to an effective prayer life” is knowing that the basis for your confidence in prayer is praying in accordance to God’s will. Thus, our passage teaches three assurances that we have regarding confidence in prayer.

1.      We can have confidence that God hears our prayers because we are in Christ. The foundation for our confidence in prayer is being in Christ (1 John 5:13). Being in Christ implies that one recognizes and accepts Him as their sin bearer; for there is no other name under heaven in which one can be saved (Acts 4:12). Thus, “assurance of eternal life constitutes the first Christian certainty. While John wrote his gospel to bring unbelievers to faith (John 20:31), he wrote the epistle to give believers confidence that they possessed eternal life” (MacArthur). Therefore, with this possession, His children are assured that their heavenly Father hears their petition (1 John 5:14bc).

2.      We can have confidence that God hears our prayers if we ask according to His will. Theologians speak of God’s will as expressed in His divine decrees, the Directive and Permissive will of God. In God’s directive will, there are some things in which He is the author, i.e., He actively brings about the events. For example:

1)      Creation, Genesis 1:1

2)      God appointed the nations and their boundaries , Acts 17:26

3)      God decreed the family and ordained that marriage be indissoluble, Matthew 19:1-19

4)      God decreed government, Romans 13:1-7

5)      God establishes and removes kings, Daniel 2:21; 4:35

In God’s permissive will, He may bring about events by means of secondary causes. Sinful acts, for example, do not frustrate the plan of God, but neither is God the author of them. Case in point, when the people of Israel demanded a king to rule over them, they sinned against the Lord (1 Samuel 8:5-9, 19-22). But the Lord had foreordained that kings would come from Abraham’s lineage (Genesis 17:6; 35:11), culminating in the Messiah. The people sinned, but God’s plan was being executed.  Elsewhere in Scripture we learn that prayer:

1)      Must be in faith, Mark 11:24

2)      Must be given in the name of Jesus, John 14:14

3)      Must be offered by those who abide in Christ, John 15:7

4)      Must be offered by those who have forgiven people who offend them, Mark 11:25

5)      Must be accompanied by obedience, 1 John 3:22, and

6)      Must not be for the gratification of one’s passions, James 4:3

Thus, all this is involved in praying according to the will of God.

3.      We can have confidence that God hears our prayers if we know that He hears. God invites His children to come boldly before the throne of grace. Specifically, He says, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16 NASB). MacArthur provides with a final thought, “the word ‘hears’ signifies that God always hears the prayers of His children (Psalm 34:15-17), but not always in the manner they were presented.” Remember, God’s perceived silence to our prayers does not mean inactivity, but could imply preparation (Romans 8:28).

Reflection

1.      Have you truly trusted Jesus Christ to be your sin-bearer?

2.      Do you pray what God wants or are you fixated only on what you want in prayer?

3.      Do you possess an assurance in your salvation? If not, why not?

4.      How well do you understand God’s plan of salvation for mankind?

Go Deeper - Additional Reading:

1.      Wiley Bumgarner, Knowing God Through Prayer

2.      Judson Cornwall, Praying the Scriptures

3.      Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Conversation With God: Experience Intimacy With God Through Prayer

4.      Robert P. Lightner, Sin, the Savior, and Salvation: The Theology of Everlasting Life

5.      Lewis Sperry Chafer, Salvation: God’s Marvelous Work of Grace

6.      Tony Evans, Totally Saved

7.      Charles Stanly, Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure

8.      Earl D. Radmacher, Salvation