Most of us are familiar with the passage of Philippians 4:6. We are to present our requests and petitions (literally means demands)to God with thanksgiving. A request without thanksgiving is a complaint.
A request is generally directed to a friend or a loved one. We understand within that relationship we will receive a response to our needs.
But can God call us His friend? Is our heart open to His questions? And consider this question. What does it mean to have the Lord talk to you as His friend, a confidant, someone who longs to whisper secrets in your ears and heart (Psalms 25:14)?
In John 15:15 Jesus calls us friends. In this verse Jesus illustrates a servant relationship that has little or no knowledge of his or her master but a close friend knows the Lord’s business. This is important in “framing” our requests to the Lord as we remain in a state of persistence and patience until the prayer is answered.
And since we can know His mind and heart we can present our requests to Him, our Friend, with assurance and boldness. I would venture to say that in prayer there are times the Holy Spirit will bring revelation to present requests on behalf of the body of Christ that otherwise you wouldn't have known or may understand.
When we understand that God calls us His friend, it will change our individual and corporate mission (Your kingdom come!) and purpose of prayer (Your will be done!). So what we ask for will align to His greater purpose and design not just for our lives but for the church and even globally.
Mark 2:16-17 says Jesus is the friend of sinners. He truly loves us no matter our condition. And we can ask Him anything, boldly understanding this deep, personal love of a Friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment