Assurance of Answers to Prayer

Romans 8:26-38

One of the greatest statements of faith in the entire Bible is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s statement to Nebuchadnezzar when he ordered them to bow before his statue. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up,” (Daniel 3:16-18). They were going to obey God whether he did what they wanted or not.

Many have taught that God is obligated to give you anything you pray for if you believe it, or if you ask ‘in Jesus name’. Two verses are the basis for these beliefs. One is based on Jesus’ statement in 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.” The second is based on Matthew 21:22. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” When God doesn’t give what is demanded, people are often discouraged, but the problem is a misunderstanding of what it means to ask ‘in Jesus’ name’, or to believe.

As an employee of R.A. Plumbing and Heating, I was authorized to purchase things in the company’s name. My authority to buy was limited to the things that were needed to do company business, but anything that was needed was okay. Often, I had not seen the job before going to do the work. Sometimes called ahead to change my order, after looking at the job I was buying for. I could be confident of getting what was needed, although not always what I expected to get.

This is the concept behind John 5:14-15. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” The order may well be modified to meet the need, rather than what I asked for. So often, we don’t know what is really needed. We can believe God will supply the correct things.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Many times I found that people either did not know the best way to do the job, or did not know the proper terminology, with the result that I went to resolve a different problem than actually existed. By looking at the job, the boss could determine what I had guessed wrongly about. The Holy Spirit does much the same for us in our prayers, ordering what is needed accurately, using the correct descriptions.

Because the boss changed my order, I was able to do the work immediately, rather than having to wait for parts. This was definitely to my advantage, even though I didn’t always get what I expected, or asked for. We can be assured of the result of the Spirit’s changes, just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)