Praying for God's Will

1 John 5

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.  ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.

What are we trying to do in our prayers?  We may be able to make a statement about what we believe about prayer, but we can also look at it from what we actually say in our prayers.  When we listen to our own prayers we spend quite a bit of time informing God about the problems of life, whether they are our own, those close to us, or the problems of the world.  Making sure God understands the problems we need him to deal with.  And the other thing we often do is explain to God what we expect for an answer.  Telling him how to solve the problems we have just explained to him.

I think it is important for us to come to God in prayers and look for good things for the world, our families and friends, as well as ourselves.  The good things that God wants us to have.  Starting with that purpose John gives us in these few verses.  John wants people to know that life comes from believing in Jesus.  We want others to be able to have that same faith in Jesus.  We pray for others, as we saw with the Lost Sheep this past Sunday.  I was delighted to see that all of the sheep we had in front went home with people to remind us to pray for those who need to follow Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  I am a bit sad that we didn’t have more sheep.  I hope those who did not get one on Sunday can find one to have at home to remind us to pray for the “lost sheep” in our families and the larger community.

Come to God in the confidence that he promises to hear the prayer that comes from his will.  And this is seen as well when Paul writes to Timothy (1 Timothy 2):

¹ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  ³ This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

Pray continually for the salvation of those close to us, the people of the city in which we live, our nation and the world.  Wanting God’s will completed, that all would come to Jesus and be saved.