We’re learning how to pray this month at church using the model ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. The strength of using a model like ACTS is:
1) It helps to ensure our prayers are not all about ‘me’; it helps us to focus on God – who he is and what he has done.
2) It gives structure to prayer time, which helps stop our minds from wandering.
This article focuses on S – Supplication.
What is the most outrageous thing you have ever asked for? A new house, a new bike, a huge favour from a friend, a promotion, an upgrade? Some people are timid in asking others for things – they can’t imagine making a big request; others are bold and will ask for anything in the hope they might receive something. What if God gave you a free request? What would you ask for? Would you be timid, or would you be bold?
Ask in prayer
On the night before Jesus died, Jesus repeated to the disciples three times a teaching on prayer. He taught, ‘You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it’ (John 14:3), ‘whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you’ (John 15:16) and ‘Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name’ (John 16:23).
Even as Jesus departs to be with his Father in heaven after his resurrection, his disciples are still dependent on him. Jesus expects them to depend on him in prayer, and they can ask him anything—big or small. Jesus offers to do this because the disciples are in a relationship with him and the Father through believing in his name.
It is quite a teaching. It’s not a mistake – but it is a repeated teaching of Jesus.
Lessons for prayer
- Jesus has the authority to grant our requests. Jesus, as he departs to be the Father in heaven, has the power and authority to answer our timid requests and our bold requests as we seek to live as his disciples.
The words ‘in Jesus’ name’ are not magic words. I once read a book on prayer that said prayers that do not include these words will be ineffectual. This is not true; rather, we say ‘in Jesus’ name’ because we acknowledge that the Father will answer our prayer through Jesus’ glorious power—not because we’ve attached a few words at the end of our prayer.
- Jesus expected us to trust in His power and ask our heavenly Father for things in prayer. A recent survey of our church found that many of us don’t spend much time asking for things in prayer—timid or big things. But Jesus encourages us to ask. And more than that, he says the Father will answer. When we ask our heavenly Father to do something, he is more than able and willing to do it.
- As we ask, we need to remember Jesus’ commands—to love one another, serve one another, and bear fruit that will last into eternity. The book of James warns against praying with wrong motives, particularly selfish gain (James 4:3). It’s always tempting to focus on ourselves for our own benefit when we ask Jesus for things. But Jesus, on the Eve of his death, says, “Love one another”, “serve one another”, and “bear lasting fruit.” We’re to let these commands also shape our prayers.
- Lastly, because Jesus has all power and authority, we can pray boldly and big prayers—big prayers for God’s church, Big prayers for God’s saints, Big Prayers for God’s work in the world. God chooses to work through our prayers, James again says, ‘We do not have because we do not ask’ (James 4:2). So let’s ask.
Be Bold in Prayer
What if God granted your request? What did you ask for? Was it timid or bold? Jesus tells us that we can pray bold requests, not just once or twice, but all the time. We have an audience with the Heavenly Father, and through Jesus, who gave his life for us, we have the promise that if we ask, we will receive.
Will you pray boldly?
Here is a bold prayer from the apostle Paul that you might like to use for another Christian you know, based on Ephesians 1:15-23.
Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
