"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15).
It's amazing how many times a day my children can come to me or my wife and ask us for something. "Dad, can you fix my toy?" "Mom, can you help me tie my shoes?" "Mom, do you want to play outside?" They confidently come to us anytime, anywhere with any circumstance, knowing that we will listen to them.
If only we could be that way with our heavenly Father. I must confess that too often I fail in my prayer life. God is always listening. He always wants to help. He always wants to bring more blessings into our lives than we can possibly imagine. But we also need to understand that sometimes when He says "No" to our prayers, it's not because He doesn't care or because He wants to make us suffer. It's because He loves us.
When this passage says that we have confidence in approaching God by asking according to His will, we need to realize that His will is best for us. His will is that we stay safe in our faith in Him. His will is that we live lives that have a profound eternal impact on those around us. His will is that everyone comes to faith in Him and is saved. So tell me, what does God want you to persistently pray for today?
-Pastor Chris Johnson, Outreach and Young Adult Pastor
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