John 14:13-14
Have you ever wondered why we pray if God already knows everything? What do our prayers accomplish?
First, communicating with God connects His Spirit and ours. A relationship can’t survive if the two parties don’t speak with each other.
Second, God communicates His will to His children through prayer. If we’re seeking to please Him, then we will pray with an open heart and mind. In turn, the Lord impresses upon us the desire to ask Him for those things He wants to bring into our life.
Third, communing with God gives us the opportunity to participate in His kingdom on earth. As we learn to trust Him for answers, He gives us greater tasks in prayer. The Lord will burden our heart to pray for the salvation of a friend, people suffering from a natural disaster, or the state of our nation. When we see an answer, whether it’s big or small, we will know He blessed us by including us in the process.
God calls on His children to pray, because He wants us involved in His work. What a privilege for us to freely go before our Father and know that He is interested in what we have to say. In fact, He is pleased when we ask Him to meet our needs or the needs of someone else. And if we are praying according to His will, He answers every time.
Please open your bible to the following scripture: John 14:13-14
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Thoughts from John 14:13-14
In these verses Christ is talking to HIS DISCIPLES who would go on after He was gone and establish the early church. Jesus was imparting full power and authority to them by giving them His name to impart. In that time, to speak under the name of someone else meant to fully represent them in all ways.
How does this apply to us?
When Jesus says we can ask for anything, we must remember that our asking must in in his name—that is, according to God’s character and will. God will not grant requests contrary to his nature or his will, and we cannot use his name as a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do his will, then our requests will be in line with what he wants, and he will grant them.
Key thought:
The goal of prayer is to glorify God. Our prayer must be consistent with the Lord’s will and in accordance with everything Jesus stands for.
Blessings from the Youth Committee
References: God’s Word NIV and In Touch Ministries