One of the blessings of being a professional church worker is the kindness and generosity I have received from other church workers and members of the congregations I have served. I have had access to various opportunities merely because I’ve gotten to know people throughout the course of my study and service. For example, while I was an undergraduate, I secured a summer job because my pastor knew the owner of the company. I obtained a discount on three different cars because the party selling the car knew I was a church worker with limited resources. It really is who you know. Or perhaps who knows you.
Access to the Father
John 14–16 records that Jesus talked with His disciples to prepare them for what was coming. Soon Jesus would be arrested, accused, tried, and convicted to death on the cross. Before that, our Lord endeavored to assure His beloved students that, for His sake, they could pray directly to the Father.
In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. …
In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. (John 16:23–24, 26–27)
There are at least three noteworthy points here. First, we can pray to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Through His perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus has opened the gates of heaven. God the Father answers our prayers in grace for the sake of Jesus and what He has done for us. Unbelievers don’t have saving faith, so God hears their prayers but does not regard them.
Second, the Father answers the prayers of believers for two reasons: so that their joy may be full and, as is stated in John 14:13, so that He would be glorified.
Third, love exists between the Father and believers. This love is related to believers’ ability to access God directly. It should be noted, however—in relation to John 16:27—that God loved us before we loved Him. God sent Jesus out of love for sinners. Furthermore, we are only able to love God because of His work in us. Jesus redeemed us through His precious blood on the cross. The Holy Spirit created saving faith in us, which is how we know God and love Him.
Praying According to the Revealed Will of God
Essential to praying in the name of Jesus is doing so according to the revealed will of God. By revealed, I mean what God has shown us in His Word, the Bible. In the Bible, God tells us of His nature, what He has done, and what He has promised us, among other things. Our Lord has not shared everything with us. Yet He has given sufficient information for a rich prayer life. One principle for praying according to the revealed will of God is that we pray in favor of God’s will. We should pray for what God wants. For example, God wants all people to be saved. So we pray that the Gospel will be shared all over the world to all people. God wants parents to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So we pray that parents will be equipped for and committed to leading devotions in the home and bringing their children to the waters of Baptism and regular worship in God’s house.
Praying according to the revealed will of God also means not praying for what is in direct contradiction to God’s will. In other words, what God does not want. We pray against sin, against personal vengeance, that God would not condemn someone or some people group to hell because of another person’s prayer (unless we are praying to break his or her sinful behavior), and so forth. Consider the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done, for daily provision, for forgiveness and the fortitude to forgive others, and for the avoidance of temptation. What better template for prayer could we request? As we consider the Lord’s Prayer, given in Matthew 6, we are reminded that the only way to know God’s revealed will, and what to pray for, is to be familiar with the Bible. Daily time in God’s Word is essential to a healthy prayer life.
A final point is to avoid praying for what I call trifles. In other words, do not pray for things God has expressed no interest in. A Christian once asked me to pray for his favorite football team to win a game. I told this person that I would pray for no injuries and that Jesus would be glorified in the process of the game. There is ample evidence that God is interested in our physical safety and His glory.
The Rhythm of Prayer
We also need to be mindful of the rhythm of prayer. Our sinful tendency is to perceive the various aspects of the Christian life through ourselves. Prayer is no exception. Prayer is not something we do for God. Nor do we initiate it. God initiates prayer in two important ways. First, He creates saving faith in us through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through faith, we come to know the one true God and call Him Lord. Second, God initiates prayer by telling us what to pray for through His Word. Simply put, without the Bible, we would not know what to pray for. God gives us His Word. We respond with prayer over and over again.
Scripture: ESV®.
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