Praying in God’s will

 

Mothers know the frustration of a crying baby that cannot tell her the problem that makes him cry. Many moms will say, ‘Oh, if you could only talk. Then I could help you.’

Is this something like the frustration felt when the Bible tells us: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14) and we have no idea what His will is, so we don’t know how to pray?

The difference is that God does talk to us. His will is revealed in His Word; we just need to read it. Well, there is more to it than mere reading. Jesus tied knowing the will of God with having a heart to do what it says:

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. (John 7:17)

With obedience tied to revealed understanding, it makes sense that obeying what I already know is vital to knowing more. God will teach me, but if I’m not listening and doing what He says, then the lessons are either repeated or stopped and my life can grow stagnant.

“The word of the Lord [came] to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2).

Jeremiah and Daniel both obeyed the Lord and both understood what He was going to do; the captivity of His people would last seventy years. These servants of God conformed their lives to His will and prayed accordingly. Their prayers, and the prayers of all God’s people are far more effective in the lives of humble, submissive hearts. Jesus is our example:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. (John 6:38)

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. (John 17:4)

Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. (Luke 22:42)

He teaches us the same thing in how we should pray: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10).

Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years in Babylonian captivity, accepted it as God’s will and began to pray for its fulfillment. This is not being resigned to fate but an active participation in God’s plan as He revealed it.

Note also that Daniel didn’t try to change God’s will, but did what he could to support it. The key to this is realizing God is not like a crying baby that cannot speak. He does speak and the more I read what He says AND do what He says, the more of His will is revealed to me and to each of His servants.

When I pray according to God’s will, I can be confident that He hears me and will grant my requests. 1 John 4:15 follows with: “And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:15) This ‘knowing’ is the knowing of faith, the confidence God gives to His people when we ask, believing what He says and cooperating with it.

Jesus, I’m excited to read this, excited to have the freedom to be in Your Word, and excited that You reveal or remind me of Your will each day so that I can pray it back to You. if there is any area in my life where my will is contrary to Yours, show me and enable the necessary changes.

READ: Revelation 22:6–21. This is God’s will. Read it carefully and several times, taking note of how I can better respond to Him, both in my life and in my prayers.