Confidence in Prayer
Book of 1 John
Chapter 5 Verses 13-21
What is confidence?
Confidence is the assurance planted in our minds of the truth.
Confidence is a firm
belief you have the truth.
Confidence is
trusting in the integrity of someone or something you have placed
your faith!
What must we
understand?
Pro 3:26 For the
LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being
taken.
Pro 3:5 Trust in
the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
If we just did this
one thing, "trust in the Lord", we cannot imagine how much
better our lives would be and that we have such a future ahead of us
that it goes far beyond our imaginations!
Where did we end
last week?
1Jn 5:12 He that
hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not
life.
The biggest problem
in the Church is that our faith, "our trust" in the truth
of Jehovah God is speculative and experimental and therefore there is
no change or very little change in our lives!
Our faith must
become certain!
We must know that it
is the spiritual world that is the real world and not this physical!
We must know for
sure, "we have a Heavenly Father" who wants to be involved
in every part of our lives!
We must also
understand that though we may not take every commandment God gives us
to be serious, God does!
Every commandment we
have from God, "rightly divided" has its own intended
purpose for our lives!
We must understand
that this world we live in lies in wickedness, and God teaches us how
to survive with some peace of mind in this evil world, until He calls
us home.
God has a purpose
for us after He has saved us from ourselves!
There are many that
ask, why would a sovereign God care about each individual in His
creation.
God answers that
question along with any other question that can be asked!
Let's begin at
Chapter 5 and verse 13.
*****1Jn 5:13 These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God.
You have to get the
feeling that Jehovah cares for all His children. Not just as a group
but each and every individual.
God wants to get up
close and personal with each of His children!
According to the
Apostle John, his epistle is written to believers.
It should also be
obvious that the Bible is written to the Church, each and every
Believer!
We should also
understand that even today, there are those who believe but still are
not assured of their salvation.
The Church has
become opinionated, and there are many things we voice our opinions
on, when we should just shut up and let God talk.
God says if you
believe upon the works of His Son Jesus, then you have eternal life
and not eternal death.
We don’t have to
take a vote to see who is right.
We don't have to
gather the elders of the Church to get their opinion.
All we must do is
trust the Word of God and believe on Jesus Christ!
There is a great
blessing that comes from assurance.
There is great peace
that comes with assurance.
There is great joy
that comes with assurance.
We can be perfectly
sure we have eternal life.
We can experience
eternal life right now while we live in these bodies of flesh.
We can live as if we
will never die as long as we live by the Word of God and in faith in
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We can know beyond a
shadow of doubt that we will live with our Savior for ever when He
takes us home!
The one thing that
must take place is, that we believe on the name of God's Son and
believe, and believe, and believe, and believe, and keep on
believing!
Joh 20:31 But these
are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Joh 3:36 He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Since we will take
on the subject of prayer let's listen as Jesus prays:
Joh 17:1 These
words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may
glorify thee:
Joh 17:2 As thou
hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3 And this
is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Notice how Jesus
addresses His Father
Since we know how
our Savior prays, then we should have more confidence in our own
prayers.
Another of the great
gifts of God is the fact that His ears are always open to hearing our
prayers!
*****1Jn 5:14 And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
"according to his will", he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we
know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, "we know that we have
the petitions that we desired of him".
We immediately see
the key to answered prayer is praying for things that are in the will
of God for your life!
We next see that
this prayer must be a prayer of faith!
When we have that
confidence in life eternal in God's Heaven, then we can also have
that same confidence in answered prayer!
God hears the
prayers of His children!
God does not hear
the prayers of anyone else!
The only prayer of
the lost that is heard is that prayer of salvation!
No one, not anyone,
can approach Jehovah God without the Lord Jesus Christ!
You can pray five
times a day or twenty five times a day, but without Jesus Christ that
prayer is meaning less!
Every prayer that
goes unheard is a plea for an action that will never take place.
As Christians, we
should never fear the prayers of false religion, because they pray to
a false god who is powerless to cause any harm to Christians.
When a Christian
believer prays, God hears and if that prayer is in the will of God
for your life, then that prayer will then be answered!
But don't be praying
for the destruction of someone. We must never pray for God to destroy
our enemies because God has already condemned them.
Don't be praying to
win the lottery God has already said He would provide for us and we
are to try to be good stewards of the things God lets us use.
Use prayer for the
reasons God gave, and first prayer is intended for us to have a
conversation with our Creator!
God hears our
prayers if we ask according to His will, and this passage gives us
God's will for answered prayer!
God has promised to
answer our prayers if these conditions are met, but He did not say He
would always make His answer obvious to us or in the time frame we
have placed in our own mind!
Remember God is
still the all-knowing God, and there are things we pray for that we
do not need in our lives at any time!
For answered prayer
we must have that total trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For answered prayer
we must possess the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
We can pray for many
things, but we need to spend more time talking to our Heavenly Father
than asking for any need!
Mat 6:31 Therefore
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take
therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.
Our Father in Heaven
is not a deadbeat dad!
It is the will of
God that we be delivered from the trials of this life!
1Co 10:13 There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
If God is first in
your life because of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, then we should
actually have no worries at all!
Isa 41:10 Fear thou
not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness.
Isa 41:11 Behold,
all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and
confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee
shall perish.
Isa 41:12 Thou
shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended
with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a
thing of nought.
We must pray to God
by the Lord by Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit and He
will answer our prayers!
We let our own
selves down when we do not follow God's rules and I hate to use the
word "rules".
You see by being
obedient children, then we will be delivered from all evil!
2Ti 4:18 And the
Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto
his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The God of all
comfort will hear His children when we pray according to His will,
but it is foolish to ask God for anything, if we do not have enough
faith to believe He can provide us that answer.
Mat 21:22 And all
things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive.
Jesus would not have
said this if it were not true!
We should not forget
John is writing to believers and we believers are all in this thing
together and therefore we need to help one another.
*****1Jn 5:16 If
any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall
ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.
There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jn 5:17 All
unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
What are the facts?
First, we are to pray for all our brothers and sister in Christ. If
we see that they are in sin, then we are to pray even more for them!
We must always be
concerned about sin and especially sin in the Church. Many lessons
can be learned from a study of the Church in Corinth.
I will present a few
things for us to consider.
It is clear that if
we live in sin, then we do not love our Savior. To live acceptable to
God, we must live holy and righteous lives!
By praying for our
brothers and sisters who are in sin that can be seen, shows the Lord
that we are aware of sin!
There is but one
time that we should not pray for our brothers and sisters in sin and
this is when they have committed a sin unto death!
There is also sin
not unto death!
The Word of God says
all sin is unto Spiritual death!
Rom 6:23 For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Then the only sin
that is not unto Spiritual death, is that sin that is under the blood
of Jesus.
This is sin that is
pardoned by our Heavenly Father by His free gift of "Grace"!
Rev_1:5 And from
Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
We must also mention
the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which is a great lesson
in itself.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore
I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And
whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be
forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall
not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come.
What was the truth
of the Messiah from the Old Testament?
Mat 12:17 That it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 Behold my
servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well
pleased: "I will put my spirit upon him", and he shall shew
judgment to the Gentiles.
What is the sin unto
death?
Joh 3:34 For he
whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God "giveth
not the Spirit by measure unto him".
Joh 3:35 The Father
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Joh 3:36 He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: "and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him".
What we know is that
the day when Jesus healed a man who was demon possessed the Pharisees
and other religious leaders said these things.
Mat 12:22 Then was
brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he
healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23 And all
the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24 But when
the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This fellow doth not cast
out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils".
This is the
"blaspheming" the work of God the Holy Spirit who God the
Father had placed on God the Son.
In reality since
Jesus has returned to Heaven so blaspheming the Holy Spirit cannot
take place as it did this when Jesus was upon the earth.
Now the instance of
"Spiritual Death" still comes on all those who have
rejected the "work" that Jesus Christ has done for our
salvation, and are not a home for the Holy Spirit, but these are two
separate things.
Getting back to our
lesson there two more things that we can consider.
We do not judge our
brothers and sisters, but we do see them get caught up in sin and we
need to pray from them just as the Scripture says.
There are somethings
in our world of sin that can bring capitol, punishment from the local
governments, which would be a sin unto physical death and when those
charges are in fact true, then maybe we should not pray that God
deliver them from this death because God endorses capitol, punishment
for certain crimes.
It does stop us for
praying for their soul which remains in the hands of God and no man
can take away.
We are also reminded
of those who leave the Church:
1Jn 2:19 They went
out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us,
they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that
they might be made manifest "that they were not all of us".
1Jn 2:20 But ye
have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
These who have left
the Church and go out of the Church, blaspheming all the truth of the
Church, were probably never saved to begin with!
They were just
spies, for the Devil and people trying to cause confusion in the
church!
They had heard the
truth and decided against that truth!
We still need to
pray for their souls, even if we have a tendency not to do so.
They will suffer
eternal death just as all those who reject our Lord Jesus Christ!
Now if this does not
answer that question of "sin unto death", then as
individuals we need to pray for God's wisdom in these matters and
just make sure we remain in prayer for all our brothers and sisters.
We are all sinners
saved only by the "Grace" of God!
The one other thing
we should point out is the Lord's Supper!
1Co 11:23 For I
have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That
the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when
he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my
body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the
same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This
cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink
it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as
often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's
death till he come.
1Co 11:27 Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a
man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of
that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he
that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30 For this
cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we
would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
By the Holy Spirit,
written by the Apostle Paul, those that take of the Lord's Supper
unworthily, could also see sickness and even death and we may not
even notice when these things have happened.
The Lord's Supper is
a simple ceremony of reverence to the Body of Christ and should be
observed in that fashion!
Maybe those who are
not the children of God, should not partake of the Lord's Supper
since they know these things!
Trying to
impersonate a Christian for evil reasons can bring death to your body
and your soul which could couse your death when you are completely
healthy.
This is dying when
there is no physical reason for your death!
If we are true "Born
Again" children of God, doing the best we can to live holy and
righteous lives, praying daily for the forgiveness of our sins, we
will never get caught up in any of these things!
*****1Jn 5:18 We
know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is
begotten of God keepeth himself, "and that wicked one toucheth
him not".
If we have been
regenerated by the Holy Spirit, then all our sin is under the "Blood
of Jesus" and our sin cannot ever be counted against us!
It is a fact, that
we must live righteous lives as best we can, while still in these
bodies of flesh and righteous means according to the Word of God.
When God says it is
wrong, then it is sin!
We must not give in
to temptation and remember that "He that is within us" is
much stronger than "he that is in the world"!
1Jn_4:4 Ye are of
God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he
that is in you, than he that is in the world.
All unrighteousness
is sin! The only sin unto death is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!
There are no little
sins and no big sins, they are all sin.
We must repent and
forsake all sin, while we are still living!
And remember these
are those who have been born of God!
Those who do not
know the Lord as their Savior, must first invite Jesus into their
hearts and be washed in His Blood!
Because we have
accepted the fact that Jesus took all our sin upon Himself, we are
freed from sin and are now acceptable to God, but we will never have
a free license to sin!
Because of Jesus,
that "Wicked one" (Satan, the Devil, the Deceiver) cannot
touch us!
Though we may feel
like it at times, "the Devil cannot ever get on our back",
because we belong to Jehovah God!
*****1Jn 5:19 And
we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
When we know, that
we know, that we belong to Jehovah, then we also know that we live in
a wicked world.
Think about Noah
when he was building the ark. He knew He was right with God and He
believed when God said it was going rain and the earth would be
flooded.
Heb 11:7 By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
At the same time,
Noah knew the world would be flooded because of sin and therefore he
knew he lived in a wicked world.
Noah was not
bothered because he provided good jobs, and everyone thought he was a
fool.
Things have not
changed so much today, the Christian is still looked upon as a fool,
but now this wicked world wants all Christians to be eradicated from
this world and God will come get His people one day soon.
The world we live in
is not the same world God, created back in the Book of Genesis.
The world we live in
is not the same world that was left after the flood in Noah's day.
Everything in this
world has been corrupted by the Devil and those who follow him!
Everything in this
world is aging, deteriorating, and passing away, and this is easily
seen if we just open our eyes.
We must do our best
to separate ourselves from this world.
We must do our best
to pray for all our brothers and sisters to do the same, and we must
give ourselves to the Lord for safe keeping.
Rom 12:1 I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
2Th 3:5 And the
Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient
waiting for Christ.
2Th 3:6 Now we
command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and
not after the tradition which he received of us.
While this wicked
world looks to the coming of the Messiah, we know He has already
come.
*****1Jn 5:20 And
we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him
that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and
eternal life.
1Jn 5:21 Little
children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
The Old Testament
told us of the coming of the Messiah.
The New Testament
tells us that He has come and who He is.
If you are a child
of God, then you are aware of the Spirit world, while we live in the
physical world.
We know the truth!
Jer 9:24 But let
him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the
LORD.
Jesus the Messiah
came to us to teach us the truth!
Jesus the Messiah
came to restore our fellowship with Jehovah.
It is this restored
fellowship that protects us from the wrath of God upon this sinful
world.
We know these things
because our fellowship with Jehovah is restored and this fellowship
extends to every brother and sister in Christ throughout this world.
Joh 7:16 Jesus
answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent
me.
Joh 7:17 If any man
will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of
God, or whether I speak of myself.
If we reject the
proof of the Messiah and the person of the Messiah, then we have
placed this world above our Holy Father, and we are idolaters.
As the little
children of God this is the first thing we must get right!
Joh 3:18 He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this
is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every
one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
Anything that takes
first place in our lives becomes our little god or if it is our
Savior then we have made the right choice!
There is only one
answer to all our problems:
Jud 1:20 But ye,
beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep
yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We have only one God
and His name is Jehovah!
Isa 42:8 I am the
LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 42:9 Behold,
the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare:
before they spring forth I tell you of them.
The Lord has taken
the time to make sure we know all these things surely we can take the
time to praise Him for the truth.
Any other thing we
lack, God will certainly explain them to us, if we go to Him in
prayer.
God wants us to know
that He is not hiding anything from us!
When we know all
these things are true, we can also believe our prayers will never go
unanswered!
Amen
Let’s Pray!
