Confidence in Prayer
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 12/18/2011 AM |
Text: | I Chronicles 29; Lord's Day 52 |
Psalters: | 183, 232, 373, 434 |
- Founded in the doxology.
- All solid confidence that God will answer this prayer arises from what we know about God.
- First, that He is our Father (the address).
- Second, the “kingdom” belongs to our Father - because He is King, He has all authority.
- And His is the “power,” i.e., the ability to implement His authority and enforce His will.
- Finally, the “glory” is our Father’s.
- This doxology is the basis for the petitions we have brought to God: “for.”
- “Thine” shows the connection between this concluding doxology and the address.
- This doxology gives the reason we are so confident of an answer.
- Our confidence in praying this prayer (and all our prayers) is also expressed with “Amen.”
- This is a transliterated Hebrew word into Greek and then into English which means, “certain” or “true” (not “I agree”).
- By ending our prayers with this word, we are expressing our solemn promise to God that we prayed sincerely.
- Further, “amen” is our expressing the assurance that in spite of our desire being weak and a small beginning, we know our Father will hear and answer.
- That is because God finds the reason to answer in Himself, in His unbreakable promises.
- Our Father, Who is so able and so willing, will not put to shame those who wait on Him (Psalm 25:3).