Truth & Promises in Prayer

August 28, 2024
Pastor Gordon Cook

Psalm 46:10-11,
 
It's always good to focus upon God, and remind us of why we can be assured of answers to our prayers. This is a psalm that begins in a wonderful way, and ends in a wonderful way of focus upon God. It reminds us that God is our fortress and strength.

I thought here's at least three big truths that we should often keep in mind when we come to prayer.

1. We have to know this God and thankfully the Bible gives us a wonderful revelation of the true God. We know from our Bibles that God is true, God is faithful, God is good, God is love, he’s all knowing, he’s all powerful, he’s everywhere present, and there's nothing he cannot do. He can do far above what we could ever ask or think. We never have to worry about asking too much, he loves to give. There's no one more generous than God.
2. We have to know his Son, Jesus. Jesus told his disciples about praying, and on several occasions he said, “Pray in my name,” and the Bible says there's no other name under heaven where men can be saved, and there's no other way of approach to God but through his Son, Jesus. “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes unto the Father but by me.” So to pray authentically, to pray confidently, to pray effectively we have to know God, we have to know his Son.
3. We have to know the divine promises. There are many promises sprinkled through the whole of our Bible, and we have to take hold of them by faith. Let me give three major categories of promises that we can utilize when we pray.
   • God has given us special promises regarding answers to prayer. The passage of Scripture that comes to my mind is Matthew 7, where Jesus gives that triplet of commands, Ask, seek, knock; and then he tells us God will respond with promise, answers to our prayers. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, (it's a command) and you will find; knock, and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Wonderful promises with respect to prayer, a triplet of promises.
   • God promises to draw near. Three times in the book of Hebrews, we’re commanded to draw near. Hebrews 4, “Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.” Again, chapter 7, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, through Christ. Hebrews 10, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” If you turn to James 4, you have the same language, we are told to draw near to God, but then we're given the promise, he will draw near to us. James 4:8, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” God promises to answer our prayers. God promises to draw near when we pray.
   • God promises specific help in grace. We need to go to God. We're claiming those promises, going to God in the name of His Son. We come as poor needy sinners who are in daily need of grace and help. The James passage is the one I'm going to reference here, James 1 focuses upon our need of wisdom, that's a specific grace we need. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him, but let them ask in faith.” And we could expand that, couldn't we? Not only when you lack wisdom, ask, but if you lack faith, ask. If you lack hope, ask. If you lack love, if you lack perseverance, any specific grace you believe there's a lack, you can ask, and he says he will give. He will give.

The promises were a big deal to the Puritans, they love to talk about the promises. Matthew Henry, “God's promises are to be our pleas in prayer.” William Gerno, who's written that massive work on Ephesians, the soldier of Ephesians 6, here's what he says, “Oh, it is a sad thing for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise in the dark night of affliction and afraid to draw the hatch.” Sometimes we don't go and take advantage of the promises when we are in times of affliction, in times of difficulty. Well, let's make good use of the promises, brethren, as we go to the throne of grace.