HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

The Third key: Seek God’s will

The apostle John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15).

Someone shouted to me once, “Oh, if we only knew God’s will!” I replied “Hallelujah”.

But God’s will is not some mystical, unknowable thing. God reveals His will to us in the pages of the Bible. The Bible reveals God’s words, which explain how He wants us to live. It is God’s will for us to live as He designed human life to be lived to produce happiness. It is God’s will for us to understand the truths of the purpose of life and what He is doing when He gives us access to that knowledge. It is God’s will for us to claim the many promises He has given us in His Bible.

What are some of His promises―things it is His will for us to claim?

The sample prayer―often called the Lord’s prayer―gives a number of examples (Matthew 6:9-13):

• Give us this day our daily bread (provide our needs).
• Forgive us our debts (sins).
• Do not lead us into temptation (help us be alert to avoid situations that lead to sin).
• Deliver us from the evil one (help us overcome Satan’s influences in our lives).

Other promises include:

• Wisdom (James 1:5).
• Healing (James 5:14).
• All things working out for good “to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

There are many more promises in the Bible. It is God’s will for us to claim these. So if we come to Him asking anything that is according to His will, He hears us.

However, this is not to say that He immediately answers yes to everything that is His will.

“There are many things that are God’s will that doesn’t receive an immediate yes. God wants us to prosper and be in health, to have an abundant life, to be healed. But still, He answers in different ways:

• “Yes.
• “Yes, but not yet.
• “No, but I have something better in store for you.

Obedience is a fundamentally important key for receiving answers to our prayers. The apostle John wrote, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).“Seemingly unanswered prayers are not proof we lack faith. Instead, they are faith-building exercises—part of the tough basic training we must go through now to prepare us to be eternal, powerful kings helping in the Kingdom of God. It is preparation to be transformed into the complete image and likeness of God—to be children of God!”