Prayer: should be offered Up with Confidence in God
Jump to: Torrey'sLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
Prayer is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith, serving as a means of communication with God. It is an expression of faith, trust, and reliance on the Almighty. The Bible provides numerous examples and teachings that emphasize the importance of offering prayers with confidence in God.

Biblical Foundation

The Scriptures encourage believers to approach God with boldness and assurance. Hebrews 4:16 states, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." This verse underscores the believer's privilege to come before God, assured of His willingness to provide mercy and grace.

Faith as a Prerequisite

Confidence in prayer is closely linked to faith. James 1:6 instructs, "But let him ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." Faith is the foundation upon which confident prayer is built. Without faith, prayer becomes an uncertain endeavor, lacking the assurance that God will respond.

God's Faithfulness

The confidence in prayer is rooted in the character of God Himself. 1 John 5:14-15 assures believers, "And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him." This passage highlights the faithfulness of God to hear and respond to prayers that align with His will.

Examples of Confident Prayer

The Bible provides numerous examples of individuals who prayed with confidence in God. Elijah, for instance, prayed earnestly for rain, and God responded to his prayer (James 5:17-18). His confidence was not in his own ability but in God's power and promise.

Similarly, King David often expressed his trust in God through prayer. In Psalm 55:16-17 , David declares, "But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning, and noon, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice." David's confidence in God's responsiveness is evident in his persistent and expectant prayer life.

Encouragement to Believers

Believers are encouraged to maintain a posture of confidence in their prayer life. Philippians 4:6-7 advises, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This passage reassures believers that confident prayer leads to divine peace, guarding their hearts and minds.

Conclusion

While a conclusion is not provided, the essence of confident prayer is woven throughout the biblical narrative, encouraging believers to trust in God's character, promises, and faithfulness. Through faith and assurance, prayer becomes a powerful and transformative practice in the life of a Christian.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Psalm 56:9
When I cry to you, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 86:7
In the day of my trouble I will call on you: for you will answer me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Prevailing Prayer.
... Prayer should not be selfish, but dictated by a supreme regard for the glory of
God. A great deal of prayer is offered from pure selfishness. ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture iv prevailing prayer.htm

The Knowledge that God Is, Combined with the Knowledge that He is ...
... sit and hear prayer in public, and prayer in secret ... As the Lord hath created him,
so should he serve ... The sacrifice of the bodily performance offered up by the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xi the knowledge that.htm

Prayer
... to be good for us; and our prayers should comport with ... Samuel took a sucking lamb
and offered it,' &c.1 Sam 7 ... of our faith, and so shall we prevail in prayer. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/4 6 prayer.htm

Christ Our Mediator. --Continued.
... up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting ... significance of the
Saviour's requirement that henceforth all prayer should be offered in His ...
/.../x christ our mediator continued.htm

Prayer --A Privilege, Princely, Sacred
... days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and ... not the will of God that men
should pray ... Prayer is complement, make efficient and cooperate with God's will ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/i prayera privilege princely sacred.htm

Of Prayer
... places or churches in which common prayers are offered up. ... the voice refers more
to public than private prayer. ... Public prayers should be in the vulgar, not in ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/of prayer.htm

Prayer Perfumed with Praise
... His own prayers had not been offered without thanksgiving; what ... God forbid that we
should fall into a spirit so ... want of faith; for indeed some prayer is rather ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/prayer perfumed with praise.htm

God's Sovereignty and Prayer
... that every real prayer of faith that has ever been offered to God ... he thrice beseeches
Him that this thorn in the flesh should be removed ... Was his prayer answered ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter nine gods sovereignty and.htm

Psalm LIII. (LIV. ).
... have shewn that the whole of the foregoing prayer is the ... this He did once for all
when He offered Himself up ... been heard it was right that there should follow a ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/psalm liii liv.htm

Whether the Seven Petitions of the Lord's Prayer are Fittingly ...
... God, then alone is it right to ask for something in our prayers when it is right
that we should desire it. ... Reply to Objection 5: Prayer is offered up to God ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the seven petitions of.htm

Resources
What is fervent prayer (James 5:16)? | GotQuestions.org

What is listening prayer? Are listening prayers biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Is there evidence that God answers prayer? | GotQuestions.org

Prayer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Prayers

Prayers of Christ

Prayers of the Unrighteous

Related Terms

Kneeled (12 Occurrences)

Confessed (19 Occurrences)

Knelt (20 Occurrences)

Hannah (13 Occurrences)

Agony (20 Occurrences)

Possible (133 Occurrences)

Amoz (14 Occurrences)

Acknowledge (61 Occurrences)

Praying (71 Occurrences)

Beyond (209 Occurrences)

Hezeki'ah (120 Occurrences)

Kneeling (12 Occurrences)

Using (88 Occurrences)

Leaving (80 Occurrences)

Withdrew (55 Occurrences)

Fervently (7 Occurrences)

Farther (33 Occurrences)

Fasted (20 Occurrences)

Tabitha (2 Occurrences)

Repeatedly (28 Occurrences)

Distance (75 Occurrences)

Constantly (47 Occurrences)

Sennach'erib (13 Occurrences)

Short (128 Occurrences)

O (1414 Occurrences)

Boldly (26 Occurrences)

Builded (65 Occurrences)

Prayers (99 Occurrences)

Face (780 Occurrences)

Placed (297 Occurrences)

Attitudes (1 Occurrence)

Ship (122 Occurrences)

Restrained (51 Occurrences)

Proceeded (72 Occurrences)

Ground (538 Occurrences)

Ezra (28 Occurrences)

Rain (118 Occurrences)

Earnestly (78 Occurrences)

Forward (252 Occurrences)

Whereas (55 Occurrences)

Eli'sha (52 Occurrences)

Pass (1172 Occurrences)

Wept (78 Occurrences)

Fasting (34 Occurrences)

Fell (331 Occurrences)

Cup (86 Occurrences)

Sennacherib (13 Occurrences)

Nehemiah (9 Occurrences)

Confession (22 Occurrences)

Stood (491 Occurrences)

Desire (565 Occurrences)

Ghost (123 Occurrences)

Desert (322 Occurrences)

Samson (37 Occurrences)

Prayer (406 Occurrences)

Jonah (30 Occurrences)

Departed (270 Occurrences)

Laid (552 Occurrences)

Wherever (107 Occurrences)

Jeremiah (141 Occurrences)

Hezekiah (124 Occurrences)

Chosen (197 Occurrences)

Yielded (28 Occurrences)

Quite (55 Occurrences)

Quenched (22 Occurrences)

Vote (3 Occurrences)

Visited (40 Occurrences)

Zedekiah (63 Occurrences)

Kingdoms (65 Occurrences)

Keepest (16 Occurrences)

Knower (1 Occurrence)

Nevertheless (153 Occurrences)

Ninth (35 Occurrences)

Nerijah (8 Occurrences)

Needy (83 Occurrences)

Neriah (10 Occurrences)

Unjust (44 Occurrences)

Upstairs (8 Occurrences)

Prayer: should be offered Up with Boldness
Top of Page
Top of Page