Prayer and Promises

The Promise 

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for. 

— 1 John 5:14,15, HCSB 

The Testimony 

The faith Jesus spoke of was more than a nominal assent to the truth that Christ is the Son of God. You are to believe that he is your Saviour, your Redeemer. You are to believe that you are his child, that it is your right to claim the promises of his word, your privilege to represent him to the world. 

We shall all be tested by trial and temptation, and we shall be able to endure only by having genuine faith, by having root in ourselves. It will not do for us to depend upon others. We must know that we have a hold from above. May God help us to realize the importance of examining our hearts to see whether or not we are in the faith. There are many who will fail because they do not gather every ray of light emanating from the word of life; they do not cherish the divine precepts, and dwell upon the precious promises of God. If they did this, fruits of righteousness would appear in their life, and every day they would be growing stronger and stronger, and more and more like Christ. 

Christ has promised, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” He will hear and answer our prayers, and faith appropriates the rich promises of God, believing they are for us. As we accept the promises of God, we grow stronger in faith, and find the word of the Lord fulfilled as he has spoken it. We may feel our weakness and unworthiness, and because of this, realize our dependence upon God. Every one of us can have a rich experience in the things of God if we will utterly forsake our sin and submit ourselves to God. 

We must all learn to lean upon Jesus; for the time will come when we shall be scattered, and we cannot lean upon one another. Christ is ready to give us the help we need. The Bible is full of precious treasure, but we must dig for it as did the man who purchased the field of treasure. In this way we shall learn what it is to have living faith. Many are enfeebling the mind by the reading of stories and novels, and are losing their relish for the word of God… Search the Scriptures, and know what is truth. Lean upon God, and know what is living faith, and live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

— The Review and Herald, April 14, 1891 

The Response 

Heavenly Father, I am grateful to be Your child. Thank You for the right to claim the promises as my own. Examining my heart, I feel my weakness and unworthiness but cling to Your word that those who come to You will not be turned away. I willingly submit my will to You and claim Your rich promises for I believe that You will fulfill Your word!