Praying According to God’s Will

I Jn 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

James 4:13-17 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1. Many people base their contentment upon whether or not everything is emotionally great in their life, and whether or not, in their opinion, their plan for their life is going good. But true contentment comes from knowing that you have placed yourself in the hands of a merciful God.

Heb 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Phil 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

When David sinned against God by counting the people for his vanity’s sake, God spoke through the prophet Gad and gave David the choice of three punishments (I Chronicles 21:1-8). Three years famine, Three months being destroyed by his enemies, or three days of being destroyed by the hand and the angel of the Lord. David chose to “fall into the hands of God, for very great are His mercies.” David knew that he was better off, even in the worse of judgments, to be in the hands of God!

2. Human beings DO NOT have the ability to plan for the future apart from the graciousness of God.

Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

3. Some things are always the will of God.

Salvation

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Forgiveness (because God cannot forgive us), Love one to another (we are commanded to love even our enemies), Holiness (without which no man shall see the Lord), Faith (it is impossible to please God without it).

Feeding our Spiritual Man.

Matt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak

Praising and Worshipping God. (also John 4:23-24)

1 Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

4. Paul wanted to come to the Church in Rome but prayed according to God’s Will.

Rom 1:10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Rom 15:32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Paul had never been to the church in Rome. In those days, there was never a big enough building to house the “church” in a city at one time, so various groups would meet in their homes. The leader of the local group would be very similar to the pastor. All of the house church leaders were the elders of the “overall church” in the city and each city had a presiding elder or bishop over it. The Catholic religion teaches that the church in Rome was started by Peter but the book of Romans proves otherwise. Peter was the bishop of Jerusalem and Judea. In Romans 16:3-16, Paul addressed twenty-six people in the church of Rome and mentions several of their house churches. I will mention just a few to back up the point. In verses 3-5, Priscilla and Aquila, the married couple that had helped train Paul in his early years, and had risked their life for Paul are mentioned as living and having a house church in Rome. In verse 7, Adronicus and Junia were a man and a woman referred to as apostles sent to Rome. They had both been in prison with Paul before, and were probably kin to Paul in some way. Paul’s conversion to Christianity was more than just the result of Stephen’s stoning and preaching, Paul also had some relatives preaching to him! In verse 13, Paul mentions Rufus the son of Simon the Cyrenian the man who was called upon to help Jesus carry His cross (Mark 15:21). From Mark’s reference to Rufus we know that Rufus had a special call of God upon his life. Paul also mentions Rufus’ mother who is “like a mother to Paul” also. Earlier in Romans 15:20, Paul had mentioned that he would not build upon another man’s work, yet he desired to go to Rome to see his obviously many friends and relatives there. Peter could not have started the church in Rome or Paul would have at least mentioned him and would not have wanted to go visit the church so badly.

The point is this, Paul had every reason to want to go to Rome: old friends who had been through experiences with him, relatives who were responsible for his conversion, mentors, teachers, a second mother type person, and many other reasons. But Paul, even though in his humanity he wanted badly to go to Rome, still prayed IF it be the will of God.

5. Jesus also prayed this way:

Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Matt 26:36-46 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

Peter, James, and John were allowed to witness the transfiguration of Jesus. They also were the only ones allowed when Jesus healed Jarius’ daughter. Jesus obviously intended to use these men’s faith to bring about the perfect will of God. In the Garden of Gethsemenae, however, they failed to keep their end of the agreement! It is very easy to pray when we have personal needs and God is meeting and ministering to our personal needs. It tends to be harder to pray and intercede not for our will, but the perfect will of God in our lives particularly when that means drinking from the cup of experience rather than passing on it.