Bible League: Living His Word This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.— 1 John 5:14 NIV Do you have confidence when you pray? Or, do you lack confidence? Our verse for today says that you can have confidence when you approach God in prayer. You can have confidence if you meet a certain condition. What is the condition? The condition is that you must ask in accordance with God's will. You must ask for things that God wants you to have, not for things that He doesn't want you to have. No doubt, God could give you whatever you asked for if He chose to do so. However, He is your heavenly Father. As such, He has no interest in giving you things that will not be helpful for your development as a Christian. Indeed, He has no interest in giving you things that would harm you or harm those around you. What things are in accordance with God's will? There are many. James 1:5, for example, says "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified..." Many more examples could be given, but in short, anything sanctioned by the Bible is in accordance with God's will. Things forbidden in scripture are clearly not in God's will for you. There are things about which the Bible is silent. If some cases are a bit murky, then it is certainly God's will to ask for guidance. After all, God Himself says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you" (Psalm 32:8). God can clear things up by giving you guidance about what you should or shouldn't pray for. If you meet the condition, our verse says that God will hear you. And, as the next verse in Chapter 5 says, "... if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:15). Clearly, then, you can approach God with all the confidence in the world that He will give you what you ask for—when you meet the condition, when you ask for things that are in accordance with His will. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 88, 89 Psalm 88 -- O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 89 -- I will sing of the loving kindness of the Lord forever. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Romans 10 Romans 10 -- Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.Insight Jesus did not work independently of God the Father, but in union with him. This should give us even more assurance of being welcomed into God's presence and being protected by him. Jesus' purpose was to do the will of God, not to satisfy Jesus' human desires. Challenge When we follow Jesus, we should have the same purpose. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Matthew 9:6 The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.Behold one of the great Physician's mightiest arts: he has power to forgive sin! While here he lived below, before the ransom had been paid, before the blood had been literally sprinkled on the mercy-seat, he had power to forgive sin. Hath he not power to do it now that he hath died? What power must dwell in him who to the utmost farthing has faithfully discharged the debts of his people! He has boundless power now that he has finished transgression and made an end of sin. If ye doubt it, see him rising from the dead! behold him in ascending splendour raised to the right hand of God! Hear him pleading before the eternal Father, pointing to his wounds, urging the merit of his sacred passion! What power to forgive is here! "He hath ascended on high, and received gifts for men." "He is exalted on high to give repentance and remission of sins." The most crimson sins are removed by the crimson of his blood. At this moment, dear reader, whatever thy sinfulness, Christ has power to pardon, power to pardon thee, and millions such as thou art. A word will speak it. He has nothing more to do to win thy pardon; all the atoning work is done. He can, in answer to thy tears, forgive thy sins today, and make thee know it. He can breathe into thy soul at this very moment a peace with God which passeth all understanding, which shall spring from perfect remission of thy manifold iniquities. Dost thou believe that? I trust thou believest it. Mayst thou experience now the power of Jesus to forgive sin! Waste no time in applying to the Physician of souls, but hasten to him with words like these:-- "Jesus! Master! hear my cry; Save me, heal me with a word; Fainting at thy feet I lie, Thou my whisper'd plaint hast heard." Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.Isaiah 33:5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Psalm 113:4,7,8 The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. • He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap, • To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people. Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, • even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), • and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:32,38,39 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? • For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, • nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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