Practical Remarks on Prayer: Promises to Prayer

 •  6 min. read  •  grade level: 9
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that. if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that. He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14, 15. We know that the formative power in the heart, of the words of Christ dwelling there, and an upright, uncondemning heart with confidence in God, are the conditions of successful prayer. In the present verses, all that is assumed. It is supposed that we are asking according to His will, and what we have here is that, so asking, God always hears us. He is not like man, often occupied so that he cannot listen, or careless so that he will not. It is a precious and wonderful thing for the creature, man, notwithstanding the fall, to be so restored to moral harmony with God as to be able, under the guidance of the Spirit, to ask according to His omniscient will. We do not read that angels have this privilege. They indeed "do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word" (Psa. 103:20), but the intimacy with God which prayer affords is, apparently, conferred upon man only. Surely this bestowment is a proof of God's desire that man should enjoy communion with Himself. Do we prize this privilege as we should?
Our spirits are not, however, always up to this level, and Rom. 8:26-28 recognizes this case. We know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. And He who searches our hearts knows how to take up all that is of His own Spirit in those hearts. As to the result, “we know" that all things work together for good to them that love God. And this gives peace, whether our requests are granted or not. So we are not to restrain prayer because we are not on the highest plane of communion. On the contrary, it is our privilege in everything to let our requests be made known unto God (Phil. 4:6). An instructive example of this is Paul's prayer about the thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:8, 9). For this thing he besought the Lord that it might depart from him. But his prayer was not in the intelligence of God's mind, who had a better thing in store for Paul, which Paul would have lost had his request been granted. The believer may indeed, as a chastisement, receive that which in unbrokenness he clamors for, but the result will not be happiness. We read, "He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." Psa. 106:15. To present our requests, with submission, is, however, always our privilege. The example of Paul shows this. He besought the Lord for his desire not once only, but thrice. In result, such submission was wrought. in his soul, that ultimately he took pleasure in the very infirmities which he had implored the Lord to remove. A discontented and insubject heart may reproach God with not answering its prayers, but in the retrospect of eternity, how much cause for praise may be discovered in the requests which our gracious God now refuses to grant.
So far from restraining prayer, we really need more frankness with God. Scripture amply warrants this, and it is illustrated by the case of good Ananias (Acts 9:10-17). The Lord sends Ananias to Saul of Tarsus to receive him after his conversion. But Ananias has a difficulty in his mind, and with beautiful simplicity and reverence, he lays it before the Lord. "Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to Thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on Thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.... and Ananias went his way." The Lord, it will be observed, does not in the least reprove Ananias, and the incident left on record thus surely gives encouragement to us to tell the Lord with reverential intimacy about all our difficulties. Indeed this example, and that of Paul in 2 Cor. 12, previously referred to, are strikingly similar as precedents for freeness, yet reverence, of communion. They also indicate a spirit of perfect submission. The two instances are remarkably alike in tone and spirit.
In Phil. 4:6, 7, we are authorized to bring all our requests to God. "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Here it is noticeable that the promise is not, as in 1 John 3:22, that we receive whatsoever we ask. But, having laid our requests with submission before Him, His peace keeping our hearts and minds is the present effect. As to the requests, if He does not grant them, it is because He has for us something better. His child should not wish what is contrary to His will. But there is a higher example than Paul even Jesus in Gethsemane. Not indeed, as so often in our own case, of prayer below the highest level for even in that dark hour His communion was perfect but here, as Man, He lays the incomparable exercises of His heart before God, mentioning something which He would desire if only compatible with the divine will. Spreading out the agony of His soul in prayer, He exclaims, "O My Father, if it be possible. let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matt. 26:39. Here is perfection both in His communion as a Man with the Father about the appalling prospect before Him, and also, notwithstanding the prospect, in the absolute surrender of Himself to the Father's will, the Father's purpose. Surely we need more frankness and confidence in our communion with God. "Ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us." Psa. 62:8.
The promise in Matt. 18:19 is peculiar-it deals with united prayer. The essence of this promise lies in the assured presence of the Lord Himself with only two gathered in His name. The agreement in prayer of such a gathering is promised to be acceded to by the Father. The promises in John 14 and 16 are connected with prayers in Christ's name, and may be realized by the individual in his closet. The promise here, however, is to the concurrence in prayer of even only two "gathered together in His name."