Whatever We Ask We Receive From Him
1 John 3:22 New King James Version
22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
If we are keeping the commands of God and doing that which pleases Him, it means that our heart is committed and surrendered to the Lord. It is impossible to live for God without the help and assistance of The Holy Spirit. It requires that we are abiding daily in the Lord. We are walking intimately with Him. We are daily in the word of God and prayer. This will shape the way we pray and what we pray for.
There is great confidence found in the man or woman of God who walks closely with the Lord. The common denominator for every person who has ever accomplished great things for God is that they were people of great prayer with the Lord. They knew the Lord intimately and they reoriented their lives so that they would spend time in His presence each day.
We are changed by The Holy Spirit as we make spending time in His presence the priority. Those who have never developed a deep prayer life with the Lord may desire to establish one but may not know where to start. The greatest place to begin is by simply praying. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. One of the greatest things we can ask God is to teach us how to pray and what to pray for. As we simply surrender our heart and mind to Him, we will come to know His voice and suddenly, the very things we desire will align with the will of God.
What we find from this verse is that when we keep the commands of God, our hearts will be aligned with His will. Is John simply speaking about the ten commandments? The answer is no. We know on this side of the cross we are not under the law but live under the new covenant found in Christ. But the commands John speaks of is all that Jesus taught. For Jesus said those who love me will obey my commands. If we are keeping the commands of God, we demonstrate that we truly love God and therefore our hearts are surrendered to Him.
Prayer
Father thank you for your word. Thank you that you hear us when we pray. Thank you that you call us to partner with you to see your will accomplished in the earth. Mold and shape the desires within me to align with your purpose and will. Father give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Give me a heart to understand your will and purpose. Father may my life be a house of prayer and may all that I pray be done for you and your glory. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
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