Prayer And God's Purpose

God has a purpose for this world, and for everything He’s doing in it.

“That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him.”

Ephesians 1:9 – 10

That’s His plan and He’s working on it right now. It’s to that end that He’s saving and gathering His people from all across the world, teaching them obedience, making them holy, teaching them to love and support one another and leading them out to proclaim the gospel. He is building His church and will ultimately establish His perfect kingdom on a perfect renewed earth and as a result His wisdom will be made known and His glory will be praised.

“…the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord… that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 3:8 – 12

It seems to me that if you are a follower of Jesus then God’s purpose ought to be yours. It seems to me too that if praying — asking — in His name means anything it means asking for things that will tend toward the fulfilment of His purpose.

If you get that right it will probably make you rethink a lot of the requests you make of God. I mean, when you pray that the sun will shine for the church picnic on Saturday or even when you pray for someone to be healed, what is your motive? Would the granting of your requests further God’s purpose?

I’m not saying don’t pray for things like that, but it’s not praying in Jesus’ name, is it? You can’t expect to get the answer you want every time.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

James 4:3

So, pray for the growth and expansion of the church. Pray for the proclamation of the gospel. Pray for God’s people to grow in holiness and that the bond of fellowship among them will grow and remain strong. Pray for things that will put God’s wisdom on display through what His church does and pray that His church will reveal His glory to the world. Identify things that will tend toward those ends in the circles you move in and pray for them with boldness. Pray for them in Jesus’ name.

And as for those times when you have no way of knowing if your prayers are in line with God’s purpose or not. Well, you have to pray, “if it be your will.”