1 John 5:14 [ Confidence and Compassion in Prayer ] Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

I will admit that sometimes I struggle in prayer, I try to stay focused, but can say I am nowhere being perfect in my prayer to the Almighty God. I simply ask the Holy Spirit to keep me focused in the throne room.

Is there anyone perfect in prayer? I would suspect all struggle in some sense. But if you believe in Jesus Christ, you know He hears you no matter the time, place, circumstance. The struggle I guess is to really believe to ask things according to God’s will, not our own.

It dawned on me how helpful God is in our prayer life to Him if we pay attention. I recently sat in a Veterinarian’s room waiting for blood test results for my 7 year old Gordon Setter, Leo. He was having all the symptoms of kidney failure, and I dreaded the thought of it since it is incurable and fatal. The Vet asked me if I would like a blood test to rule it out, and I reluctantly said yes.

For the next hour, I focused my thoughts and my entire self into prayer to God. I asked Him for this not to be kidney disease or failure. I fervently prayed and prayed. I had my hands over my eyes, as I drowned out any noise and focused on God’s provision. I placed my entire faith in His will in this. I braced myself for bad news and pleaded with God with my whole heart, mind, and soul for it not to be this news. I glanced at Leo while I was praying, and he could tell how focused I was, it was like he was telling me “do not worry”, and in his way thanking me that I was praying for his behalf.

After an hour, the Vet opened the door and without a hesitation, she said “no kidney problems, the blood work came back normal.” I literally gasped a huge sigh of relief as I thanked God profusely. Good or bad news, I was ready to just accept God’s will in this. And the part I will remember is Leo getting up off the floor to lick my hands which were clenched together. He must of recognized the sigh of relief.

Afterwards, it dawned on me how really focused I was. It was just me and God, I knew He was listening and believed He would answer. I asked humbly myself “why don’t you pray this way always?” and was convicted by this event. Which I came to realize was God’s conviction for that time and place.

It is easy to get nonchalant in our prayer life. We go through the motions to tell God casually “yes, we know You are real” but the missing element is the real honest communication with Him. And sometimes as in my case, if we need a kick start to praying as He commands, He will put us in a situation that we do. That there is no humanistic grasping at straws to figure it out, He eliminates every option, so that your focus is entirely on Him! What a great God He is!

When you pray, focus entirely on Him alone. Remember His power, is there anything impossible for Him? Don’t pray doubting or cynically. This would be where you ask God, but you don’t believe the answer is going to be to your liking. I can say by removing every doubt, you are at peace with Him, knowing that He listened to you and whatever His will might be you will be just fine.

In sanctification, we must grow and mature. This is done by the Holy Spirit who is always conforming us. We are disciplined by God by doubting for example. He will remove your doubt, I assure you! When you pray, pray as if you mean it! And I am not trying to generalize this, but like I said as if you really do believe! God will always listen to the prayers of the faithful. Doubting His will? Well those prayers often go unanswered.