Scripture to Read: John 14:13–14
Our prayer lives are our lifeline to our intimacy with our Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. The incredible privilege we have of open access to our Heavenly Father is only made possible because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. God tells us in Ephesians 2:18, "for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father." So, it is through Christ that we have our access to the Father due to His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Jesus, as He is preparing the eleven disciples for His upcoming crucifixion, tells them in John 14:13–14, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” At first glance, it seems like all we have to do is ask for something in Jesus’ name, and we’ll get what we want. But we must not miss that Jesus said that answered prayers are for this purpose: “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Even our answered prayers are to bring God the Father glory, honor, and praise. That is another reason God gave us His Holy Spirit, because as we pray, the Spirit takes our prayers and makes them according to God's perfect will (Romans 8:26–27). Jesus did not promise to answer our every request, but He promised He’d answer according to His character and authority. We can count on the fact that any prayer within God’s will will be answered according to His will.
Challenge & Application
• What can we know for sure about our prayers before our Heavenly Father?
• How often do you take advantage of the incredible privilege of prayer with God the Father?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!