Praying God's Will

 PRAYING GOD’S WILL

We take time each day to pray and ask God for various things.  What confidence do we have that it makes a difference?  Here’s what God’s own word says about that:

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  1 John 5:14

There are many things we wonder about whether they are God’s will or not.  We want certain things.  We’d certainly like people to stop getting sick.  We’d like wars and conflicts to stop so innocent civilians would have safety and peace.  We’d love for those who are homeless to have safe shelter – particularly during col winter months, for those who have no food to get adequate nutrition.

What is God’s will in the middle of all that is going on, particularly in specific situations that are on our hearts and minds?  When we don’t know for sure, we simply entrust ourselves to God’s care and ask for what is needed and, as we’re instructed in the Lord’s Prayer to pray:

Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

There are many important underlying things that we can also pray about with real confidence that we know these are God’s will.  We find them scattered throughout the Bible.  For example:

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

Colossians 1:6-7

We do ask You God that You would root us and build us up in our trust and faith in You.  Help us to be strong in putting into practice what we have read in Your word, heard through pastors and Bible teachers.  It’s so easy to know things and less easy to put them into practice.  But thank You that You are happy to support and build us up in that today. 

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 

Colossians 1:8

We need Your help, God, because we hear so many things from government, in news, in entertainment, in books, from friends and colleagues etc. that go against Your principles.  Protect us Lord from these hollow and deceptive ideas. 

Thank You for the clarity of Your will that we can walk in today. Help us to ask and keep on asking for Your guidance all through this day. Amen

Prayer changes things both in circumstances we can see and inside our hearts and minds that is under the surface.  Let’s keep inviting God to work His will in all of our life situations.

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