This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 John 5:14-15)
In a previous post, I suggested that there is a vast difference between doing for God and knowing God. Interestingly enough, that concept segues into our greatest problem with prayer: understanding how to apply scripture like 1 John 5:14-15. Which poses the question, how do you know His will?
Answer: just like any child knows the will of their parents.
Children can tell you what their parents would think of many different things. They can tell you when they\’re likely to get into trouble through their actions, and when they\’re likely to receive praise. Is this information impossible to come by? Apparently not, for through a simple thing called relationship and \”getting to know someone,\” children come to exercise these abilities naturally.
And therein lies the rub. We\’re too busy learning pseudo-doctrine, denominational tradition and how to keep the Law, and in doing so, we substitute those things for getting to know Him. The Scribes and Pharisees had the same problem: they were well versed in the Law, but didn\’t have a clue when it came to knowing who God was and what he was all about.
In order to know Him, you generally have to give some things up, such as your view of church or your reliance upon the Law. Church isn\’t about the worship service, it\’s not about the sermon, and it is most definitely not about the preacher, the projects or the ministries. Church is about exercising the heart and nature of God. With certainty, those things can be found in the aforementioned. But it is woefully too easy to just do those things because it\’s the right thing to do, rather than because it is an overflow of His nature pouring out of you. There is a vast difference between the two, as seen in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
So, boys and girls, our assignment today is to get to know something about His nature and His character. And here\’s a suggestion on how to do that. Read a Psalm, and when you finish a verse or a complete thought, ask this question: why? Why did the Psalmist say that? Why would God say that?
Here\’s something to get you started:
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, loving kindness shall surround him. (Ps. 32:10)
Why? Why would God surround us with loving kindness simply because we trusted in Him? What does that say about His nature? Next, can you imagine an experience that must have been necessary in order for those words to flow from the authors heart?
Consider those questions, or others you may prefer, and consider the answers that would be consistent with other Bible passages that you\’re familiar with. The purpose of the exercise is to learn something about the nature and character of God. Doing so will enable us to understand His will, at least in some limited fashion.
A Recovering Legalist 