Good morning, everyone, and a happy Thursday to you! It is August 24, 2023. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I’d sure like to have more assurance that, when I pray, the Lord would hear and answer! This devotion may not be an exhaustive solution, but it might prod us closer to gaining confidence when we pray. Read on …
Today's Reading:
Jeremiah 33,34; Psalms 74; 1 John 5
Scripture
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
Observation
"According to His will..." John reminds me of this important phrase. It's easy to miss. We ask and wonder why we don't receive... James 4:3 lets us know the reason: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so you may spend it on your pleasures."
Application
"According to His will"... and not necessarily mine!
This tells me that I must first know what His will is for my family, future, and finances. It will require me to discuss these things with Him, to dialogue, hear, and obey. I must know! Often, we get too impetuous. We get an idea, ask for His blessings, and if He blesses, we conclude it was His will. If not, it wasn't.
This "hit-or-miss" strategy can bring more confusion than understanding. We need to live our lives more intentionally, making sure that we are living according to His will.
I have written down five things that I must be about in this season of my life:
1. A deepening and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. A genuine marriage and a wholesome family that is close.
3. Staying physically healthy combined with a creative soul.
4. A healthy, God-pleasing ministry that overflows in the resourcing of other leaders.
5. Taking time to appreciate life with family and friends.
In any of these categories, I know that I can ask, and God will supply because it will be exactly what He wants for me as well!
Prayer
God, I pray that You would optimize my time toward these priorities. I will invest daily in these concerns and ask boldly for Your help. I will have the confidence to know that I can ask and I will receive. This is the freedom and confidence I can have in You!
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