We can pray because God’s promises invite us to do so

Quintus Heine

Romans 4:20-21 His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised.

God gives his promise: We can expect God to answer our prayers because he has promised us this in his Word. Being a faithful God, we can confidently lay claim to those promises and the promises in our prayers. In Romans 4 Paul makes it clear that Abraham did not doubt in the promise of God. He trusted that God was able to fulfil his promise. Abraham was sure that God could and would do what he promised – and it happened just as God promised it would. God's promises are sure. When we ask favours from God, we can rely on his promises.

God wants to bless us spiritually: The book of Peter makes it clear that God's promises to us have more to do with our spiritual growth than our material prosperity. 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." Of course God cares for our material needs, in the Lord's Prayer he teaches us to pray for them, but what he really has in mind, a life that is more and more like Christ’s.

To the glory of God: Maybe John 14:13 gives us the best perspective on what God says about answering our prayers. "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." This means that we can ask anything of the Lord, as long as it is for God's glory. We must constantly question our own motives, whether what we ask of God is for our own glory or for his.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that we can ask anything of you. Help us to make prayer requests will always be to your glory Amen.