The Power of Prayer - How to Pray with Absolute Confidence, Part 1

Jesus said to his disciples.

Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours now wait a minute. Is that really true. I mean we can ask for anything and if we just believe it will happen. What does that really mean what that's today welcome to this Friday edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on this daily discipleship program today. Chip continues his series the power of prayer. If you have a Bible turn now to the book of Mark chapter 11 trip starts there and is teaching today just before we get started. If you don't get to hear all of this program was shirt with a friend will find all the programs in this series on the chip and remap. Now here's Chip with his message how to pray with absolute confidence.

Get your Bible with you open tomorrow.

Chapter 11 you look in verse 22 through 24.

The context of this is pretty interesting. It's very near the end of Jesus ministry and he's going into the feast in the festivals and as he goes in one morning is a thin Trina doesn't have any fruit on and so in the morning Jesus curses this bigotry and that afternoon there coming back in. The rates are out of the ground and it's whether I mean just like that. And Peter basically says they are not pretty powerful when you speak things happen and in response to that with his disciples in this private encounter. Jesus said, as though they were surprised. Have faith in God.

I tell you the truth.

Basically, if you think something I say the truth, disciples, followers of mine. If anyone says to this mountain, go through yourself and the sea and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Pretty outrageous is but now he pushes it to the next level because the word therefore he generalizes and begins to explain this is just an instance is not just for unicycles but notice the therefore I tell you, here's the principle, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it noticed the result and it will be yours. Looking again I mean is this outrageous is this a great promissory Jesus maybe just go over the edge. You know, flu virus, having a bad day didn't really mean to say this, I mean this is out, I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you receive it and be yours if you really saying that we can muster up. As I believe I believe I believe in you Mercedes, I believe. I believe I believe okay Cadillac is that what this is all about.

Somehow you can conjure up if you believe it and can think it will come true. I don't think so I think is one of the biggest and misunderstood promises and all of Scripture.

I think he's saying something very important here, but often is not what we think in the early days my Christian life and I like to say not recently been pretty recently. I think a lot of times in this passage we come up.

I try and change this kind of change the topic. How do you explain this one. I remember having a good friend who I was probably couple years old and Christ sophomore in college and he was in an accident. He ended up paralyzed. We prayed and fasted as a young college group God's Spirit is life and he was in one of the Stryker frames you know where they just say what you together with the spinal cord injury and he was now a quadriplegic at the time didn't even know if he's going to use his arms come across this verse.

Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you received it and will be years and I didn't have much background as I shared with you never read the Bible much in.

But you know what whatever it meant to believe. I spent all day mustering up as much faith as I can keep praying and reading and reading and praying and trying to visualize God healing Frank and try to believe God is big enough to do it and trying to somehow conjure up.

Wonder what this kind of faith look like.

By 1130 that night is not in the hospital, you know, this way that way the nurses are looking at around one corner comes orderly faces like you know one of the backstairs. Finally I get in his room is in this bed and I got down on my knees and so I went up underneath and referring you doing is awake to Franklin, praying all day and I came across this passage quoted. We talked for Lawrence and Franklin pray for you. Believe because it says that if I believe that I received a constant and with all the ceiling sincerity.

I can muster. Oh God healing Frank right now and I prayed a lot of stuff open my eyes, hoping that he say Chip chip. I felt something warm and powerful go all over my body and hair. It didn't happen will happen tomorrow, maybe next week and maybe next month he still in a wheelchair. So what this me mean.

Is this true or not true or did I so completely misunderstand what this is all about, but I wasn't praying away. God wanted any of you have this gift ever prayed.

Some of these prayers, you know, like a god. It says in your word and I've tried it. You know this went on work release for me while I like to suggest that probably the problem is getting back to what's it mean his here's one obvious observation about this passage regardless of what it does mean we can all agree. Look at verse 22.

Have faith in God.

Verse 23. If you do not doubt later in verse 23, but believes that you asked for an believe there's one thing we can all agree on what ever Jesus is communicating and has a lot to do with faith right as something to do with believing whatever that means Jalisco before we even look at the main text and find out what the Scripture teaches. Think what is it and believe it or not. In Hebrews 11. Want to put it in your notes. He gives a definition for faith.

Nothing is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see faith is not subjective isn't conjuring something up. Notice what is the operative words being sure and certain faith is having absolute confidence that something that hasn't happened yet will happen.

And it's something that you can't see will come to be excellent. Faith is seen for there to meet biblical faith. You have to have a word from God boils down to. God says this. Do you trust what he said is true or not. If you have a word from God. You can't handle thing I didn't have any word from God and have a promise from God and said he would heal my body sometimes God chooses to heal people. Some times he chooses not to. You can't put God in the box and tell them what to do, but anytime God gives us a promise. Anytime we know what is.

He says he says if you act on that that in fact look at verse six of Hebrews. The author goes on and develops not only the definition of faith, but how important it is.

He says without faith without trusting in what God is said and acting on it. It's impossible to please God is as you go to church. You can praying give the United Way you can be morally pure.

But if you don't believe God, you don't please him what he wants from you and me more than anything else is faith and that he gives the reason why because anyone who comes to God, you have a relationship with God, believe two things you must believe that he exists.

Knowing for who he really is only the second thing often we believe the first but not the second, and that he is a rewarder of those who earnestly or diligently seek him. God is on the edge of his chair if you will forgive the picture, longing to bless you longing control you close longing to reveal himself. Longing for you to take any kind of step in response to his word, so that he can say all right like a father watching a little baby or a toddler take a few little steps God's arms are out.

That's the kind God is faith is believing that he exists and is rewarder and so if you want to summarize it all, therefore, is having absolute confidence that whatever God says he will ask all think this you can feel close to God exercising making effluent exercise. Think you can feel distant from God. Exercise faith. But anytime you have absolute confidence that this and you believe it to the point of acting on it. That is what the Bible is talking about in terms of faith ask you a question. Slow personal and the question I have when we get now back to praying is when you pray when you close your eyes and you decide to spend time with the God of the universe are you coming to God with absolute certainty and confidence what you're asking for will begin offering that life when you bow your head. Are you certain that the things that you ask for God is going to answer specifically what you're praying for and some of you looking like I don't know if you can print out chip where you going with this is one of those trick questions know is not a trick question.

I'd like to suggest that God wants you in the great majority of your prayer time to have 100% absolute confidence before him and praying specific things in such a way that you will know he will answer that specific thing where I get that. Here's our text for the day. Follow along if you will.

As I read first John chapter 5 verses 13 through 15. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God is writing to his children, so that you may know that you have eternal life in the context as he said whoever has a son in verse 11 and 12 as life doesn't those who don't have the sun don't have life so he's writing these things to assure them. All those people that are really in God's family.

Now notice verse 14. This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything in notice.

This phrase according to his will he hears us stop and do a little analysis. This he says is the confidence the word for conference needs boldness and assurance openness absolute certainty when you come before the very throne of God. He says this is the confidence the certainty that we possess before and what is that confidence that if we ask anything and it lines up with his will according to his will he hears us and that little word he hears us literally means his ears are open to us. Our request has gained an audience before the king of the universe.

Now look at the next verse, it gets even more radical.

Verse 15 and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have or possess what we ask for if you had times like that in prayer you had times when you have prayed and you know since you're praying according to God's will that the very thing you're asking for God guarantees is an answer for you by the word.

Notice the word no is repeated twice to words in the Greek New Testament, for no one is a knowledge that comes by way of experience is another word that means no is a historical or verifiable objective fact like I know the gravity exists. If I do believe in gravity, fine. If I don't believe in gravity find jump off the three four-story building. Whether you believe it or not you have basically the same result. That's this work is absolute certainty historical fact, we know that God hears us. And if you pray according to his will and he hears us, then you know you can get whatever you radical thought for some of you this morning. You're looking at me like what this before.

Did you know this passages in the Bible. Let's talk about how it works. How can you pray with confidence and certainty of the first question we need to ask is, to whom is this promise made to radical promise, but is not for everybody. Notice in verse 13. These things are written to those who believe in the name of the son of God. This is reserved for people who are God's children live. People can praying God knows different things, but this promise is reserved for people to personally ask Christ to come into their life, their sins forgiven. The Holy Spirit is common to controlling inside of them and it bears witness with their spirit of the child of God. This promise is for anyone is in God's family. This way, no second question we might want to ask is will then how must we pray to know that God hears our prayers. Verse 14 inch if you're telling me that this passage guarantees the God you hear my prayer.

But how do I know that for certain. Look at the little phrase if we pray how you look what to say. According to the will of God. If you arrive for anything according to his will and that phrase means that is God's intention, it's his highest desire is his authorized plan to be fulfilled.

The next question is this passage opens up is not only how to pray according to God's will see at this point. I hope your mind is in saying and ultimately just have a quick aside, I hope your mind is saying in your heart of hearts I pray a lot of the prayers. I'm not sure I pray real. Specifically, I think that instead of having faith you what I find my life and probably with many of you I find instead of praying in faith unusually praying and hope all gone. I hope this happens.

Oh God, this is the desire of God and this is be nice if you did it is not what Jesus Jesus said when you come asking in faith believe that you received it in a week you I don't think he's joking people. I don't think he just threw that one out to impress Peter and the boys. I think he was saying if you know the will of God is once you understand my will. Then you can ask for and I will deliver and you can take. I want you to pray specifically and was certainty and with confidence and I will answer now the question is a $64 question is how do you know God's will. So you asked the right stuff right there's two ways. The first is by the promises of God in Scripture. The second on those areas where the promises will look at later is by the ministry of the Holy Spirit leading you in prayer and showing you that God can give a personal word for you, and how to pray.

You see right here in this book. I understand some of the promises in this book are just for Israel, not for you and me.

Some of the promises for specific people we know Hezekiah gets in special promises of some of her special New Testament saints, but I want to tell you there are literally hundreds of promises that I can claim you can claim I know it's God's will.

I can ask according to that promise. And God promises 100% of the time answer your prayer when you bring that promise and pray according to an amazing thing I've learned is, I've been studying in prayer is the great many great women of God pray they pray with an open Bible. They pray with the Bible open and they go to God, not thinking once you read three chapters today to keep up my little chart. They reason they pray God show me you will show me your will for your family. Show me your will in the future they ask God to give some specific promises to the bank.

They pray specifically will be back in just a minute with a specific application. This message if you're just joining us, listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message today how to pray with absolute confidence is from his series, the power of prayer, whether you're a new Christian or a seasoned follower of Christ. Prayer is the key to God's throne room and answered prayer is something you can experience is your relationship with them matures in the power of prayer will discover the steps to developing a dynamic prayer life.

You learn how to remove common roadblocks to answered prayer and how to pray with absolute confidence for limited time ship series, the power of prayer is available for special honor discount price and the MP3s are absolutely free for complete ordering and pricing details. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. That's 1-888-333-6003 chip you want to jump in here. I'll be back with some application to today's teaching, but if you're listening to this program and you or someone you know is being blessed to me. God is using it in your life. I like to ask you to really pray about partnering with Living on the Edge your financial investment allows us to equip Christians here in United States China all across the world to really live like Christians because your donations. We create materials were on satellite we get God's word to leaders and we take the Bible to the people in ways that help them grow and transform their families and communities. So here's my request. Would you help us reach the hurting people in the US and around the world. Help us to be a catalyst for change so that Christians everywhere can live more like Christians.

It makes a huge difference. And thanks in advance for whatever God leads you to do what that mission resonates with you. We'd love to have you join us helping people find the saving grace of God's love will change them and the world we live in a give a gift. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003, or if you prefer to get online you can donate securely by going to Living on the Edge.thank you in advance for prayerfully following God's lead. Well here's chip with his application for today as we close today's program.

We addressed the passage as I said earlier in the teaching that is probably one of the mis-used and probably one of the most misinterpreted of all in the New Testament, Jesus said, therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you received it and it will be yours and like you, I've heard people say basically if you can muster up some level of emotion and tell yourself I really believe this somehow you can speak it into existence and the whole issue is about how hard or how much you believe in God will do anything and he's cut at your beck and calling in the teaching what we did is we clarified okay cool is that written to what's the context of that are you praying according to God's will is your desire in the context do you really want what God wants or is this for selfish gains. In fact, this is one of those passages where you might really want to listen to the last couple broadcast will be talk about the roadblocks because there's five or six very clear roadblocks that just us believing intellectually or having a lot of emotion will keep prayers from being answered. But what I do know is that there's the flip side of this and we can be critical of people who say just believe this but there's a level of expectation. There's a sense in which when we come to God. He wants us to come not like hoping, not wishing. I think a lot of us pray with the sense of just wishing I don't really believe it's gonna happen, but I hope it happens I I wish for this and God up there somewhere, somehow, would you please, may be sorted. Do this and that's not the prayer of the New Testament. The prayer of the New Testament is coming before a God who you know who loves you and that you can know his will because he's made it very clear in his word. So when you're thinking about work in your thinking, should I take this job or another job and you don't know what to do. God has given you a promise that will give you wisdom, but the condition is you'll do whatever he says you sign up for. I will do whatever you say God just show me and hears his promise to let you know this job or another job and the same is true.

Should your kids go to X school or why school is this the right relationship. Is this a person you need to marry your relationship. But, no, no, you need to break up all those kind of things you can come with full confidence because God has given you very specific promises. And when you're praying according to the will of God when you're praying to bring him glory. And when you're praying according to a very clear promise from God. Here's what I want you to get you can expect that he will answer and you can claim that promise. And when Jesus says when you believe that you received it.

There are times were God will whisper in your heart you don't need to pray about that anymore.

It's going to be done and it's not because you're wonderful, it's because God answers prayer in response to the prayer of faith that are rooted in the alignment with his will. The motive for his glory and rooted in the very promises of God.

Keep want you to pray with authority. Let me encourage you if you've never picked up a little devotional called magnificent prayer by Nick Harrison. He gives a little section every single day that is inspired me to pray boldly like no other resource of ever read it all. A great way to stay engaged and convicted the chip and Living on the Edge is with the chipping remap.

You'll get free access to all of chip's recent messages whose message notes and much more. Not only God but it couldn't be easier to order resources or call or email directly from the app you can download the free chipping remap when you go to Google play for the app store for Monday chip continues a series the power of prayer should make plans to join us for courtship of the entire team here. This is the same. Thanks for listening. this Edition of Living on the Edge