Straight from the Word

Have you ever prayed, as I have I, and wondered if God heard You? Wouldn't you love, as I would, to have a guarantee that He will respond positively toward your request?

1 John 5:14-15 tells us:

¹⁴This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. NLT

Sounds like a guarantee to me.

Yesterday we talked about approaching God with thanksgiving and praise. But these verses give us another approach. Now that we've entered His presence, we know that we can approach Him confidently when we ask anything according to His will. And He will answer that prayer.

How do we know what the will of God is? His Word is His will. So if I have something in His Word that He says He wants for His people, I know that the something is His will and I can ask for it in prayer confidently.

Well, this one is a no-brainer: What would happen if we prayed a prayer straight from the Bible? We know it's His will and we have confidence that He will answer it.

There are a few prayers in the Bible that are prayed for God's people in general. Let's pick one of those. In the book of Colossians, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ writes to the people at the church in the city of Colosse. In his letter his says that he thanks God for them. He says he heard about "your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all of God's people." He then says that since he heard, he's been praying for them and he tells them what he prays.

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.                  Colossians 1:9-14 NKJV

The NLT says it a little less formally.

⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

 ¹¹ We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.      Colossians 1:9-14 NLT

There it is—a prayer straight from the Word that can be prayed for any of God's people. What a beautiful prayer. We have confidence that because this is His Word, it is His will and He will answer. I pray this one regularly for my family. I'm in the habit of praying the NKJV. I say ". . .  I pray that I and (list of family members) may be filled … " We can pray this prayer for others and for ourselves with a few minor tweaks.

Pray with me:

Father, I do not cease to pray that I may be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that I may walk worthy of You Lord, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to You, Father, who have qualified me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light. You have delivered me from the power of darkness and conveyed me into the kingdom of the Son of Your love, in whom I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

And all of the less formal people pray with me:

Father, I will not stop praying that You will give me complete knowledge of Your will and give me spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way I live will always honor and please You, Lord and my life will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, I will grow as I learn to know You better and better.

    I also pray that I will be strengthened with all Your glorious power so I will have all the endurance and patience I need. May I be filled with joy, always thanking You Father. You have enabled me to share in the inheritance that belongs to Your people, who live in the light. For You have rescued me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me into the Kingdom of Your dear Son, who purchased my freedom and forgave my sins.