Read: 1 John 5:13-17
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, 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 have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15 NASB
How can we know that we are praying in accordance with God’s will? By praying according to God’s word.
So, what about the times we pray in accordance with God’s word but what we’re praying for doesn’t happen? Well, then I suppose we simply trust God’s timing.
But, what if our prayer never comes to fruition? (Like the time I prayed for years for a grandfather to come to know Christ, but as far as I know, he never did) That’s when we trust God’s sovereignty and His willingness to allow men and women to choose something other than His best. (God will not force us to accept salvation through His Son).
The bible is not a book of incantations that we can use to bend God to do our bidding. However, it is a way for us to better understand God’s purpose and plans for prayer.
The bible bends my heart to pray in accordance with God’s heart.
