¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15 NKJV)

I have written often about prayer, our need to pray, praying ceaselessly, answered and unanswered prayer, and God’s will in our prayers.There have also been countless books written about prayer. It is a topic that is once the most needed and most misunderstood aspect of our faith life.

Now, I am not here to tell you that I have the secret recipe for prayer. I think I struggle with it just as much, maybe more, than anyone else. I have earnestly prayed for change in myself which has not come. Prayed for help for family and friends which I did not see play out as hoped for. Prayer can be both a personal connection with the Father and an elusive aspect of our faith. I believe, from what I have read of the saints, even they struggled with its application and outcome.

I think it is just this, application and outcome, where we get so confused. Many places in scripture we find different instruction on its application. It is in the outcomes that we cannot always fully grasp God’s delivery. We must understand the considerable gap between our expectations and God’s around the outcome and learn to seek to be given insight here. When we pray we should include a component of asking God to help us to both understand and accept the outcomes, or lack there of, of our prayers.

Reflect on: Your prayer life and your understanding and acceptance of what comes from it.