Subject: Prayer - 1 John 4-5

1 John 5:13-15
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. 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.

Subject:  Prayer

One of the benefits and blessings of knowing Christ is confidence in our eternal security.   John writes this little epistle to assure us that those who have faith in Christ and confess that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World can be assured of eternal life with Him.   But, they can also be assured that while waiting for the consummation of that eternal life in glory to be fulfilled, they can have fellowship with Christ in prayer.   That prayer is communion with the the King of Kings.   That prayer is a direct line to the Power of God.   John tells us an added blessing is the power of prayer, not based upon our own merit, but on the gift of Christ and the work of Christ.   He tells us that we can ask anything in Christ will and we can be assured that Christ will hear us and answer us.   This is not a freedom to ask for things, but to ask for God's will to be done, in heaven and on earth.  We are to ask for Christ to conform us to His image.  We are to ask for Christ to save lost souls, using our meager gifts and talents.  We are to ask for Christ to give us the strength He promises.   We are to ask for Christ to give us wisdom.   We are to ask for Christ to save the world.  This is praying in Christ will.