Page 31 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive”. In this passage
we can see the secret will of God, but as time elapsed His secret will was revealed. Therefore, as we pray
that His will be done, He may choose to keep His will secret and as time elapses, He may choose to
reveal it to us (Genesis 50:20). (see also Acts 21:14; Romans 1:10; 15:32; Ephesians 1:11; I Peter 3:17;
4:19) When Paul commands the Ephesians to “Understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17;
Romans 2:18), he is speaking of God’s revealed will. So also, is John when he says, If we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us” (I John 5:14).

Let’s review some prayer principles we have already spoke about. John 15:7 says, If ye abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Andrew Murray said, “As
the words abide in me, He rules me; my will becomes the empty vessel which His will fills, the willing
instrument which His will wields”. Andrew Murry is asking us to go straight to the word of God to hear
from Him and then base our prayer time in His wisdom, not ours. Consider what insight and direction we
would receive if we asked, in the context of prayer, “Lord, what is on your heart? What truth does the
Holy Spirit want us to pray about”? As I have already pointed out from Henry Blackaby’s writings that
God is at work in the world and He longs for us to be willing to move onto His agenda not ours. He longs
for us to change the focus of our prayers to His face, not just His hand. It is only when Christ’s words
abide in us that our prayers will be answered. Then we can ask what we will, and it shall be done,
because we shall will only what He wills.

John 16:13 says, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not
speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Notice that God gives us a promise that the Spirit will guide us into all truth. Does all truth mean that
there is the possibility for the Spirit to show us everything that the Father is doing as He did for Jesus?
Yes! John 5:19 The Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing.
For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things. Please note that according to John
5:19 the Son looks to see where the Father is at work and joins the Father in everything He is doing. To
pray that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are praying that the Lord would sanctify us
completely. I Thessalonians 5:23 Paul prays, Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way and
may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
Notice that the prayer of Paul was that the Thessalonians would desire holiness in every way spirit, soul,
and body. Do you desire this kind of holiness? Do you desire that His will be done in your life today as
His will is done in heaven? Hebrews 12:14 says Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to
be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. If we are to see God in this lifetime, in all of His
fullness, and all of His manifest glory we will need to desire holiness in this fashion. Yes, I know Psalm
103:14; For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. And yes, I thank God for His
mercies that are new every morning. But do you not think that our Lord longs for us to desire holiness so that
we may glorify Him?

Again, I know that the above prayer will be a prayer that is prayed for the rest of our lives and will not be
completely answered until we see Him, face to face. But when I see His face, I want Him to greet me with the
words well done thou good and faithful servant. I so enjoyed greeting you with my mercies which were new
every morning, as you asked for forgiveness, because you did not completely do His will. (Lamentations 3:22-
23) But I was so blessed by you longing to be conformed to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29) You could
say, as a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1) I want you to
know I have a collection all of the tears you have shed in my bottles. Psalm 56:8 You have collected all
my tears in your bottle. You have a book remembrance. I remember your longings, and the fact that you
so longed for my holiness. Will you hear these words?

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