We can be sure of God’s blessings when we ask according to his will. In his epistle, the apostle John wrote, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14). Indeed, knowing God’s will emboldens us to approach him and ask him for anything. It is like the boldness of a child that approaches his father because he knows his father’s will. This boldness is born out of a relationship. Without a good relationship, we cannot approach others for favours or requests.
The relationship that we should have with God is that of a father and a child. This is made possible when we are born again. By receiving Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as our Lord and Saviour, we, too, become God’s children. In the Gospel of John, we are told, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). This father-child relationship gives rise to an intimate fellowship that will eventually allow us to know our Heavenly Father’s will. Our daily communion with him through his Word will give us more knowledge and insight into his plans and purposes for our lives. It is when we align ourselves with those plans and purposes that we truly live in the will of God.
Obedience is a key to having a good relationship with God. The apostle John emphasized this in his epistle when he said, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him” (1 John 3:21-22). Our disobedience brings condemnation and causes us to sin. Needless to say, sin separates us from God. With that lost connection, we cannot have the confidence or boldness to approach God. We need to be restored through repentance and be made whole again.
As far as God’s will is concerned, it is his will for those who are sick to be healed. Again, with a good relationship, we can always approach the Lord and request that we be restored to health. His willingness to heal was fully manifested when a man with leprosy approached him, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The man said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The response of Jesus should give us the confidence to also approach him. He answered, “I am willing. Be clean!”
It is also God’s will for all of us to be saved. In concluding the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus said, “In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:14).
While we might have the boldness to approach God with our prayer requests, he may choose not to respond positively. This happened to a man who requested that the Lord intervene in his dispute with his brother concerning their inheritance. Instead of acceding to his request, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:14-15). Why did Jesus not intervene? Is it not the will of God that we live in peace and in harmony? Certainly! However, the man did not fully understand the teachings of the Lord. Had the man been reading the Scriptures, he would have already known the will of God. It is not God’s will that we fight with each other and be covetous. Rather, it is God’s will that we love each other and conquer our enemies through that love. Indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
When there are no answers to our prayers, let us persist in presenting our petitions to the Lord. “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Heb. 10:35-36). And if we want the best, listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land”. Therefore, let us have a good relationship with the Lord and know his will. Hallelujah!
