CONNECTED AND CONFIDENT IN PRAYER
by Pastor Richard Tow
November 29, 2015
Text: 1John 3:21-22

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Description: How is your prayer life? Are you praying with results? Most honest Christian will acknowledge both a need and a desire to grow in this area. Pastor Richard provides practical insight on how to increase prayer effectiveness. First, he talks about the confidence in prayer that flows out of a clear conscience. How do we maintain a clear conscience? This message addresses that subject.  Secondly, abiding in Christ (staying connected as described in John 15) positions us to ask and receive. Managing our thought life is a fundamental part of this abiding that is seldom addressed. Pastor Richard helps us better understand how to “abide” in Christ; and therefore enjoy more a more fruitful prayer life.

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OUTLINE

Intro

A. In every human endeavor we must be teachable.
B. Last week’s message identified three principles for effective prayer.
(1) Respect
(2) Focus
(3) Consistency

I. Confidence in prayer through a clear Conscience: I John 3:21-22

A. There is sure promise of answered prayer.
Verse 22 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him….”
B. There is a condition to be met.
Verse 22 “…because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
C. There is also a condition to confidence in prayer in the preceding verse.
Verse 21 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
Transition:
Verse 24 “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him….”

II. Connection that accompanies habitual abiding in God’s presence: John 15:1-8

A. The connection between abiding and answered prayer
Verse 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done                                for you.”
B. What does it mean to abide?
Greek “meno” means to stay or dwell.

(1) In the mind, what are you dwelling on?
(2) In the behavior, are you dwelling with the godly or the ungodly?

C. The person abiding in Christ is nurturing the right desires.
“…you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

QUESTIONS

1. Obedience is the condition for answered prayer in 1Jn 3:22. What connection do you see between our daily obedience and our effectiveness in prayer?

2. What connection do you see in I John 3:21 between a clear conscience and confidence in answered prayer? As a practical matter how does it work?

3. Paul said that he lived in all good conscience (Acts 23:1; 24:16).
How is that done?

4. God obligates Himself to answer prayer in John 15:7 if we meet the condition.
What is your understanding of the stated condition? “If you abide in Me, and My
words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

5. What did Jesus mean when He told His followers to abide in Him?

6. What is God saying to you about prayer?