John 14:13-14
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it," John 14:13-14. Here in these verses Jesus plainly tells us that if we ask any thing in His name He will do it. We learned last week by keeping these Scriptures in context with the rest of the Bible that when we pray any thing according to His will He hears us and if He hears us we know He will answer us. To pray in Jesus' name is to pray consistent in His will and with who He is. We would not be praying for those things which Christ would not be praying for. We should never pray to fulfill our lustful desires. We concluded last week that it is real easy to pray selfishly; and we do often. It is best to pray Scripture in context that has been rightly divided. Praying Scripture lines us up with the Scriptures.
There are two things that we want to look at this week: the prayers of those in distress, and since God is Sovereign, why pray? Lord willing we will answer these questions according to the Scriptures today.
Distress means extreme pain; anguish of body or mind. How do we pray a biblical prayer while in distress or for someone who is in distress? We want the anguish of body or mind to be taken away as soon as it comes upon us. We do not want to hurt and we do not want our loved ones hurting. Often it is God's will that we hurt. When we are hurting we are driven to Him. When things are out of control we go to Him who is in total control. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you," I Peter 5:6-7. Casting all your care upon Him is a rolling off from you onto Him. This implies closeness. In order to roll from one to another we must be close. "Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help," Psalm 22:11. No one can help us like God can.
Who is our God? Is He cold and rigid? Does He even care what is going on in our lives? Leviticus 26:12-13a the Lord tells us, "And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the LORD your God". He is my God. He sent His only begotten Son to die for me, and He has redeemed me. He has delivered me from the kingdom of satan. He has adopted me. I am His child. I am a child of the King. He is my God.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," Philippians 4:19. If you are saved, during times of distress remember, God is "My God". This expresses personal relationship. We belong to God by eternal election, by redemption, and by regenerating power. He is our God. Lord I am Yours, and You are mine. We are a needy people, and we are dependent upon the Lord. He is our God; He is my God. He loves His children. Our Father in heaven has both the willingness and the power to answer the prayers of His children. How much greater is our heavenly Father than our earthly fathers? Turn to Matthew 7:7-11. When we pray according to His will this is what we can expect. He is my God.
Trouble is right around the corner. That phone call, or that knock on your door and you are plunged into distress. The Bible further explains our condition in the book of Psalm. "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of the earth," Psalm 22:14-15. There are times that we receive news and it is as though we have no more strength in our body. We fall to the ground. This burden is crushing us. What should we do? "But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me," Psalm 22:11. "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over-past," Psalm 57:1. "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved," Psalm 55:22. Another verse that is well known is "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want," Psalm 23:1. He is my Shepherd. He is my God.
God delights in delivering us, in bringing us through trials and tribulations. He loves us. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God," II Corinthians 1:3-4. "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem," Isaiah 66:13. Oh what a Saviour is ours! Oh God, my God!
None of us like going through trials. We have learned from the Scriptures that our comfort comes from and is in God. The greater the trial the greater the comfort will be. Ultimately one day we will be with Christ for eternity never again to have trials (Revelation 21:3-4).
So how should we pray during times of distress? We are to confess our need and our dependence upon the Lord. We are to praise Him in all things, even in afflictions. Ultimately we are to pray the Scriptures. Please understand that God does not always deliver us the way we would like to be delivered. Sometimes we are not delivered until we leave this life. Turn with me to II Corinthians 12:7-10. God's grace is sufficient for me. He is my God.
Since God is sovereign, why even pray? Prayer does not line God up with us, but prayer brings us in line with God. Prayer does not change God's plan, but rather gets us in line with His will. God's will is fully accomplished every day. So why should we pray? Biblical prayer lines us up with God, and we are commanded to pray. God has a purpose in everything He commands us to do. We are not robots. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," Ephesians 6:18, 19. "Pray without ceasing," I Thessalonians 5:17. You can also look at Matthew 6:5-8 and Matthew 26:36-42.
Prayer does not move God, it moves us. When we pray biblically we are lining up with God's will. In closing let us go back to I John 5:13-15. Do you know according to the Bible that you are saved? Are you praying according to His will? Praise be to God that He has given us access to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and He wants us to come to Him. We truly have a loving God. He loves His own, and He loves us unto the end. He is my God. To God be the glory.
