Most Loving God, my heart tells me that You are near to all who call upon You. And when I stand on Your Word believing … You fulfill the desires of my heart and keep me from harm. I believe that when I call out to You … You will answer … and share with me the great and unsearchable truths that will guide me in making good decisions, living prosperously and overcoming circumstances. When I allow evil to permeate my life, You refrain from responding to me … but, if I live uprightly, You hear and respond to my pleas. You have confirmed to me that before I lift up my voice to You, You already know what I need and are ready to respond when I make my request known. If my heart remains pure, I have every reason to believe that You will hear my requests and grant them because I willingly obey and do what pleases You. As I grow to love and respect You more, I am confident You will do what is best for me.
When You said “if you believe, you will receive what you asked for in prayer,” You were not guaranteeing that I would get anything I want by just asking for it. You do not grant requests that You know will hurt me or violate Your will. Your statement is not a blank check to fulfill my personal desires. My requests must be in harmony with Your principles and plans. The stronger my faith becomes and the more aligned with Your will that my requests are made … the more likely they will be granted. You gave me the key to success in praying when You said “if you remain in me and my words remain in You, ask whatever You wish and it will be given to You.” You’ve made it clear that to lead a good life and get into the flow of Your will, I must stay close to You in the same way a branch adheres itself to the vine. Apart from You, my actions and my prayers become unfruitful.
You encourage me to approach Your throne with confidence so that I can receive Your mercy and grace to help me in times of need. I’ve come to realize that prayer is my approach to You and I can confidently ask for what I need because I am Your child and You care about what happens to me. When I sin or neglect to act in the way You want, my head hangs low with shame and I become fearful about asking You to answer my prayers. What I must never forget is that You are a forgiving God and once I repent and confess my failings, You gladly restore my position in You. In accepting this fact, I can then come to You acknowledging You as My King … knowing You are My Friend and Trusted Advisor. In this state, I can ask boldly having the assurance that my prayers will be heard and answered. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him what we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.