13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
Have you ever wished upon a shooting star or made a wish as you blow out your birthday candle? Some might call this wishful thinking, but how we go about wishing or asking for our desires reveals something about what we believe. As children, some of us believed in Santa and made very specific requests for Christmas. Some of us begged our parents for the latest toy because we believed they had the ability to buy it for us. Some of us even asked God for big miracles because we believed he would come through.
You see, what we believe shapes how we think, how we feel, and how we act. But, what’s interesting is that this works the other way around too. What we think, feel, and do equally shapes what we believe. As we act, so we believe. As we believe, so we act. John says in his first letter, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).
What we believe about God informs what we ask of him and what we ask of God informs what we believe about him. Our prayer requests become a culmination of what we believe. Whether we are unconsciously asking or proactively shaping, our requests are a unique revelation of what we believe. When we look at who we are asking, what we are asking for, and how we state our requests, we can identify what we are believing. The person to whom we ask reveals who we trust. The request we make reveals what we want. And, the matter by which we ask reveals our confidence in asking.
Today, decide to turn to the God and ask him something boldly. Allow your request to shape what you believe God is capable of doing.
By Yvonne Biel
