Thursday, August 20, 2015

Praying for God's Will (Galatians 1:11-12)

Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:11-12

As I wrote on Tuesday, there is one gospel and one alone. The Bible is God’s revelation to us through the pens of men, and it is that gospel we who follow Christ believe.

Some of the so-called gospels being preached today aren’t found anywhere in the Bible—or are found partially. The “name it and claim it” gospel, for example, is partially biblical. The Bible certainly includes verses such as
Mark 11:24  or Matthew 7:7-8. These seem to support the idea that “I ask and I get.”

However, if Mark 11:24 is read in context, we learn so much about how we’re to pray, how we’re to ask. First, we need to, as the New King James Version states, “Have faith in God.” If we have faith in God, we will desire to do His will, and if we desire to do His will, then indeed, we will be able to ask for anything. And He will do it—within His will. The second thing that stands out is that we can’t pray for God’s will if we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. 
Jesus Himself prayed within God’s will (see Matthew 26:39). 

We must be very careful when we listen to men. And we must also know the Bible well. Then and only then can we be assured that the gospel we follow is God’s revealed word.

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