Rev. E. Anderson
PROMISES THAT ASSURE OF DIVINE ANSWERS
READING John 15
ASSURANCE: There is no doubt whatsoever, God desires and wills that His servants, those who are His appointed and anointed ministers, should be the possessors of rich, divine assurance. The only way that they can effectively serve and minister on His behalf is in and through a positive state of mind and spirit. Every vestige of doubt and unbelief has to be removed in all areas so that ministry can take place powerfully and productively in all things. This is best and perfectly illustrated in the life arid ministry of Jesus Christ. PROMISE: Assurance really stems arid f lows from promise arid promise in the Biblical connection is ever associated with guarantee God’s Word in numerous instances is a covenant word and is purposed to inspire faith arid confidence in Himself and His will to act personally and specifically on behalf of those who trust Him PRAYER: Prayer is a dynamic factor but becomes all the more galvanized arid energized when the guarantees of God are introduced. This ministry hinges a great deal upon what is known and applied in this connection. It is intended that these words that God hath spoken in solemn and sweet assurance should motivate the pray-er and the praying. Someone has rightly stated: ‘The promises of God are the moulds into which our prayers should be poured.’ This necessarily means we need to do our spiritual homework in this area. Life needs to be properly and fully furnished with all the good things that God has declared on the matter so there is an intelligent arid deliberate approach when prayer is engaged in. All together are purposes to make prayer exciting and expectant.
1/. THE DIVINE PROMISES THAT ASSURE CONCERNING PRAYER
In His great teaching on prayer, which John the close disciple and apostle of Christ imbibed, along with other vital truths, he reveals that Christ gave tremendous promises in relation to prayer. · There is no problem re-Christ as to His commitment or ability to answer. If there is one thing He loves and wills to do is to bring about wonderful answers to the supplication of His servants. If there are no answers then the fault does not lay with Him as to lack of interest or incapacity.
· There has got to be the abiding in Christ v7. Answered prayer can only come about through a constant living relationship with Him. If there is no intimate fellowship with Him then there is no likelihood of any real fruit in terms of answered prayer. Answers to prayer are very much a by-product of being united to Him
· There has to be the assimilations of His words v7. His words are of a living quality and possess the inspiration to assure command and direct, enlighten and motivate in a divine sense. For instance, here He states that divine love should character the nature and life of the one involved in prayer vv9-4. The one who loves as He and the Father loves is in a good situation to move into a great situation to get the ear and heart of God the Father.
· There has to be an appreciation of divine friendship vvl4, 15. In the bond of this friendship prayer becomes a meaningful and fruitful exercise. The prayer promise is to those in an intimate association with Him and it becomes apparent this Friend wants and wills to do in their lives and affairs of His friends. Friendship is always a good basis to get things done and accomplished.
· There is the assurance later by John that if the heart is free from condemnation then confidence can be exercised in prayer concerning the promise - I John 3:20-22. Because there is a pleasing of God then there is the witness that there will be a receiving from Him. When there is the awareness He is hearing there is also the guarantee that He is answering - 1 John 5: 14, 15. Taken all told, Christ is seeking to remove every hindrance that will frustrate prayer in its accomplishments. He expects honesty on our part to see if these things are being observed and carried out.
2/. THE PROMISES THAT ARE TO FLOW IN THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER.
There are the promises that are foundational that give basic assurance to prayer, and there are promises that are functional when prayer is being conducted.
· God loves every word He has recorded in this connection and is delighted when His children and servants speak what He has spoken. He needs no reminder of what He has said in guarantee or needs to be under any pressure on this front, but it is good for our sakes that we know what He has said and what we can expect - It is essential to know and remind Him and ourselves with His stated truth - ‘Hath He not said and shall He not do it’.
· In coming to the engagement of prayer it is good to remind ourselves of the promise of His presence and of the attention of the Father. We are assured His presence as one gathers in His Name -and when there is an entrance into private place of prayer the assurance is that ‘the Father who seeth in secret…’ - Matt 6: 6. It is not an exercise that He does not promise to attend and be an integral part of it.
· There is the blessed guarantee that with and in Christ there is the prospect of being blessed with all things - Rom. 8:32. And such can be articulated before Him. God is saying “Yes” to all the promises He has made, and in prayer there is the joyous expression of Amen that such will surely be so. When the conditions have been met, there can be the declarations and an explosion of praise for all that has been assured in and through the prayers of faith - 2 Corinthians 1:20. All that is needed can be mentioned inspiringly in prayer and answers anticipated.
· There is to be no limit set in this matter because the promises promise all, with nothing left out. Every contingency and emergency 2:4 has been adequately covered by God the Father through Christ.
Illustration: Some years ago a big American insurance company used this logo: “Covered the moment you call.”
3/. THE DIVINE PROMISES THAT ARE TO BE REALISED THROUGH PRAYER.
The promises are not just to be bound up in prayer but released to an ever-increased state of fruition and fulfillment. Note the word of promise - John 15:7 ‘and it shall be done unto you’. v16 ‘He may give it you’. Prayer linked with promise is a means of getting things accomplished.
· Following prayer, the faith and inspiration of the promises should not diminish but grow. It is not only a case of asking but believing and living exuberantly in the prayer that has been made and the promises that have been verbalized. The prayer and the promises are now an essential and vital part of the being and life and cannot be rid of. See how the infant Church prayed and was a significant expectation that the prayer and promises would be fulfilled - Acts 4: 24-33. There was to be no let up once the inspired praying had taken place. One lives in prayer and by the promises.
· In this, Christ presented the truth and fact that both He and His Father expected progressive development and total achievement in relation to prayer. One aspect of fruitfulness was to be seen in the prolific and abundant production of prayer and promise – ‘fruit, more fruit and much fruit’. - John 15:2, 5, 8.
· This ministry of prayer and promise become highly contagious and infectious. It breaks out on every front and the ministry sees that everyone and everything can be touched and wrought upon by prayer and promise. See the scope: ‘whatsoever you shall ask. .’. - John 15:16
The outcome of all this should inspire: · to a pure and mature relationship with Christ in holy union and communion that makes it possible for the contract and covenant of prayer to be entered into. The grounds should be provided on which He can move through prayer to achieve all His gracious promises. · to enter into the reality and power of prayer with the assurances of the promises directing the supplications. No one should allow doubt, fear or pessimism to control the mind and heart in prayer. · to an expectancy of tremendous things taking place through God fulfilling His Word in every way. The heavenly Father has destined to bring about the blessedness and bountifulness of His servants as they live out what has been prayed. The scope He offers in Christ is exceeding abundant - Eph 3:20.
