Deeper Reflection
WHEN WE PRAY, WHAT IS OUR GOAL? THAT GOD ANSWERS our prayer and meets our needs? Jesus assures us, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt 6:8). Our emphasis in prayer tends to be on asking God. The starting point of prayer is not us asking God, but God answering us. Jesus give us this great assurance: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt 7:7-8). God invites us to ask because He desires and wants to give. It is pointless and useless to ask God when He does not answer. We ask God because God will answer.Our goal in prayer is to be something more than just God answering our prayer. It is that God is glorified. In praying for the Thessalonians, Paul says, “To this end we always pray for you…so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you” (v.12). The words “so that” indicates purpose. Jesus gives us this promise: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it” (Jn 14:13a). But He does not stop there. Jesus will answer our prayer “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (Jn 14:13b). God is glorified in His answer to our prayer.In answering our prayer, God “gives” only “what is good” (Matt 7:11). God’s answer can be “Yes”, “No” or “Wait”. Each of these answers of God is “what is good” for us. And in each of these answers is the glory of God. Can we see that?