Short prayers provide a comforting confidence when God's commands seem ridiculous to everybody else. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the first request mean? A. “Hallowed be your name” means, Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means, Help us to direct all our living— what we think, say, and do— so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised. Summary You can imagine the tension present in Jerusalem. It was only a matter of time before the Babylonians would completely decimate the city. The market for real estate would have been zilch, since it's not very likely that the new Babylonian administration would have recognized the property deeds and titles issued by the kingdom they'd just defeated. Because of this, Jeremiah was able to buy the land for cheap (17 shekels of silver would be worth $160 in today's money), but even still, most of the guys who witnessed this transaction probably thought Jeremiah was nuts and was wasting $160. But this passage demonstrates Jeremiah's tremendous faith. Although he didn't know how or when, he had faith that someday God would restore His people, and that this land he'd just purchased would have value again. God answers Jeremiah's prayer with the assurance that He would do just that: He would "assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul (v41)." Dig Deeper It's Jeremiah's prayer in v17-25 that brings us to this passage today. Several things stand out about it. First, notice that Jeremiah's prayer comes after he finalizes the land deal. I'm sure Jeremiah had lots of questions and doubt about why it was that God had given him such a strange command, but knowing it was the word of the Lord, he immediately obeyed and carried out God's orders. Second, most of the prayer is taken up with acknowledging who God is. Jeremiah didn't pray these words because God needed to be reminded who He was, Jeremiah prayed these words because he needed to be reminded who God is and that he could trust God, even when God's command seemed ridiculous. In a sense, Jeremiah's prayer was answered by the very words he was praying. Third, Jeremiah doesn't ask for anything in this prayer! Yet because Jeremiah is praying from the heart, God recognizes Jeremiah's unspoken confusion and provides him (and us) with a tremendously comforting reminder that as our covenant God, He will always restore His disobedient people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our faithful covenant Father and sovereign Lord, nothing is too hard for you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for faith like Jeremiah's, that you would be able to fully obey God even when you don't fully understand why; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Thessalonians 2

The more things change, the more they stay the same, right? Yes, and no. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the first request mean? A. “Hallowed be your name” means, Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means, Help us to direct all our living— what we think, say, and do— so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised. Summary The more things change, the more they stay the same. This old adage has proven itself true time and time again. The pattern of God's people has been familiar and consistent: peril overtakes them and they cry out to God for rescue; God hears their prayers and delivers them to freedom; after a short interlude of faithfulness, the subsequent generations fall back into sin and God allows peril to overtake them until they once again cry out in repentance. But this time it would be different. Not the part about Israel falling into sin and invoking judgment upon themselves... that part is just as consistent as ever. But this time God's not going to rescue and restore them to the same old thing. He's going to break the pattern. The old covenant, in which the people would fulfill their obligation to God by keeping the laws He handed down through Moses, had never really worked. Sinful people can't be made holy by following rules. God would be faithful to His people. That part won't change either; as we saw a couple of weeks ago reading Daniel, God's people would repent, return and rebuild. But things would be different this time. A new covenant would be coming, one that would fulfill the old Mosaic covenant and bring true freedom to God's people. This time God's law will be put in our minds, and written on our hearts. This new covenant would restore the purpose you were created for in the first place, in which you truly know God, so that you can "bless, worship, and praise Him for all of His works (HC 122)" for all eternity. The more things change, the more they stay the same. God gave the same promise to Jeremiah that He gave to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and many others. It's the same promise He gives to you: He will be your God, and we will be His people (v33). Dig Deeper When you pray the words "hallowed be your name," or words similar to it, you're praying that God will continue to make good on His promise to complete the purpose He created you for. As the Catechism puts it, you're praying "Help me to really know you." Praying that the Father's name be hallowed both acknowledges God's holiness - His perfection and separateness from creation - and it aligns your life with His will. You're not praying that God's name will be hallowed in general, because it already is and always has been. What you're praying is that His name will be hallowed in your life, so that all of your living - what you think, say, and do - will honor and praise God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our faithful covenant Father, who has put His law in your heart and written it upon your mind; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God's name will be hallowed in your life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Thessalonians 1

You have two choices: worship God in His holiness, or be separated from Him because of His holiness. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the first request mean? A. “Hallowed be your name” means, Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means, Help us to direct all our living— what we think, say, and do— so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised. Summary If you look at the context today's passage comes in, you'll immediately notice how dark and depressing Jeremiah's prophecy is. In the verse that comes right before today's passage, the LORD declares in His judgment that "dead bodies will lie like dung on the open field." These will not be the bodies of wicked pagans; God is speaking about His own covenant people here! Israel had become overconfident in their relationship with God. God had graciously committed Himself to them with His covenant promises, so they just assumed He was unconditionally obligated to protect and provide for them. They had neglected to learn God's Word, so their knowledge of Him had grown dim, they mixed in pagan ideas to their religious practice, and ended up concluding that their wisdom, strength and riches were of their own making, and not a gift from God. In short, they had no idea that God was holy; that is, separate and above all things. God is about to bring severe punishment on His own people by allowing the Babylonians to take them into exile. But even in handing down this terrible punishment that the people fully deserve, God still offers them grace. He reminds them that true wisdom, strength and riches come from knowing Him: knowing that He is the LORD, that He exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth. Sadly, Israel ignored Jeremiah. What will you do with him? Dig Deeper The Heidelberg Catechism presents a rich irony in this answer: that we only truly know God is when we confess that, in a sense, He's unknowable. This is what it means when we pray that our Father's name is hallowed - made holy - amongst us. Something that's holy is different, set apart, and consequently unknowable when applied to a divine being like God. This underscores our primary problem as fallen, sinful people. Even though we're image bearers of God, Hebrews 12:14 says that "without holiness, no one will see the Lord." So thank God for the gospel - that our Father does not remain unknowable! He reveals Himself through His Word, His Son, who is also fully God, became incarnate and provided you with the holiness you need to see the Lord, and now through the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, God lives within you! Acknowledging God's holiness when you pray will bring you comfort and peace in two big ways. First, you'll be reminded that God is over and above all of our earthly problems and concerns and that He has the power to control all things. Secondly, doing do reminds you that you would not even be able to speak to your Holy Father except for His grace and mercy provided through Christ which has made you holy as well. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in God's name would be hallowed in the way you live; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 5

You're likely "cumbered with a load of care." Unload your anxiety by taking it to the Lord in prayer. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 121 Q. Why the words “in heaven”? A. These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything for body and soul from his almighty power. Summary We spent time in this passage this past May, looking at what it means that the peace of God "will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Today we're going to focus on v6, which commands us not to be anxious. What an irony! Nobody really likes or wants to be anxious and worried, yet we need to be commanded not to do it! Anxiety and stress are some of the primary effects of sin, and have been since the beginning when the first thing Adam and Eve did after their sin was to worry about their lack of clothing and how God would react (Genesis 3:6-9). Today's passage provides the antidote to anxiety: You will experience the peace of God when you: by prayer and petition - The repetition of these synonymous words remind us that you need to be praying often and in many different ways throughout the day in order to quell your anxiety. with thanksgiving - How often don't we miss out on noticing the good things God has given us because we're so wrapped up in the anxiety caused by our immediate problems. There's always a way to give thanksgiving even in the midst of the most dire situations, and as you do this, you'll feel the anxiety melt away. present your requests to God... "(as though God needed to be informed) is but the apostle’s quaint way of expressing the very personal nature of prayer. He is saying, in effect, that prayer is a conversation with, a plea directed to, a request made of, and information given to the supreme Person of the universe, who can hear, know, understand, care about, and respond to the concerns that otherwise would sink people in despair." - Word Biblical Commentary Dig Deeper We sing so many songs in our worship services because it is one of the primary ways God's people have always used to praise Him, but singing also benefits us by helping us memorize the promises of scripture. The 19th century hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" captures the calming peace that prayer brings: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer! Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge-- take it to the Lord in prayer! Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the Lord, who is near (v5); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in God's strength you will not be anxious about anything; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Present your requests to God with thanksgiving; Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 4

To fully experience peace, you must fully understand "these things." Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 121 Q. Why the words “in heaven”? A. These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything for body and soul from his almighty power. Summary Romans 8 is the most magnificent chapter in the Bible. I've often said to students that when (not if) they get to the end of their rope in life and don't know where else to turn, they will hear God speaking words of comfort from Romans 8 no matter what situation they're in. It quickly becomes evident that this final passage of the chapter doesn't stand alone: the assurances listed here are conclusions that come "in response to these things." What do these things include? This chapter began with a declaration that there's no condemnation for those in Christ (v1-4); then it went on to reveal that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal body (v9-11) even as He helps you in your weakness (v26-27); it tells you that you've been made an heir of God and co-heirs with Christ (v14-17), and that God is sovereignly working out all things for the good of those who love Him (v28-30). So after reading all about these things, it's not surprising that our Father isn't done there. Since giving you these things required that God "not spare His own Son," why would He not continue and "graciously give us all things? (v32)" This is what the Catechism tells us to "expect everything for body and soul from His almighty power." So why is it that so often we fail to ask Him for everything? Dig Deeper To truly experience the peace of Christ that this amazing chapter conveys, you need to know what these things are that v31 references. But the sad reality is that most Christians don't have a firm grasp of the theology described in Romans 8. They rarely read their Bibles, only show up occasionally to hear God's Word proclaimed and taught, don't take advantage of all the awesome Christian podcasts, videos, and other study materials that are at their fingertips, and they certainly don't pass these things on to younger disciples. So it's no wonder that their prayers are not only rare, but also are so anemic. These poor Christians who've deprived themselves of truly understanding these things have very little to acknowledge and align their lives with when they do pray. So although Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding on your behalf, remember that you will more deeply experience His peace the more deeply you understand these things that God has done for you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is for us and will graciously give us all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the appetite to learn and understand all you can about these things that God has done for you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Ask for "everything you need for body and soul from His almighty power." Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 3

Brace yourself like a man as God takes you on a poetic tour of His power. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 121 Q. Why the words “in heaven”? A. These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything for body and soul from his almighty power Summary God addresses Job from "out of the storm." This may be a metaphorical reference to the storm that had enveloped Job's life, or it may just be the way God's people often experience theophanies (the localized presence of God on earth): A storm enveloped Mt. Sinai as God spoke His commandments to the Israelites; the temple was filled with a cloud when God's presence came into it; and the room shook with a violent wind as the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. But the storm was only the first indication that Job was dealing with something very otherworldly. God proceeds to take Job on a poetic tour of the universe He created and oversees that goes on for multiple pages. God's speech ends with Job humbled and repenant four chapters later. "Then Job replied to the LORD, 'I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.'" (Job 42:1-2) Dig Deeper Most of us will never endure a storm like what Job suffered through, but yet many people often begin to doubt God's existence when bad things happen. On the other extreme, our view of God becomes diminished when we begin to think of Him just as a friend when we need one, or the 'man upstairs.' One thing that's for certain, none of us want to hear God speak to us from a storm beginning with the words "brace yourself like a man," because somehow we've come to an inaccurate understanding of Him. One of the best ways to continually remind yourself of God's other worldliness, authority and power is to open your prayers to Him with the words 'My Father, in heaven.' These simple words teach you not to think of God's majesty as something earthly, and set the tone for the fear, reverence and awe that you should be praying with. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is in heaven, who laid the earth's foundation and gives orders to the morning; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Humble yourself before the LORD as Job did and God will hear your prayers; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 2

By addressing your prayers to your Father, you're reminded of His love every time you pray. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 120 Q. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”? A. At the very beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our prayer— the childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our Father. Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith. Summary Jesus gives two examples of how, even as fallen, sinful people, we still have the ability to meet the needs of people around us. The first one showcases the "shameless audacity (v8)" of the one doing the asking. Even though the need was real and significant, the fact that it was the middle of the night and the friend's tiny house was full of sleeping children shows the desperateness of situation. In their middle eastern culture, to not have any food to share with travelers - even ones who drop in without warning - would have made the entire village look bad. The persistence of the one who needed help overcame the friend's annoyance at being woken up at midnight and the need was met. Jesus next appealed to the fathers listening to him. Even though we are evil, Jesus says, a father would never substitute something that would hurt his children when they asked for something nutritious. The key words in this passage come at the very end of it: "How much more..." If even in our messed up world we still can count on people to meet our needs when we ask them, then "how much more will your Father in heaven give you the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Dig Deeper The reason it's so important for you to begin your prayers by acknowledging who God is, is that doing so tempers the rest of the prayer that follows. This is why it's especially important to follow the pattern Jesus set by opening your prayer to our Father in heaven. Doing so helps remind you that you're not just phoning a friend at an inopportune time who may be really annoyed by you, but rather that you're approaching your loving Father, who happens to also be the sovereign, omnipotent ruler of all things! So don't be intimidated! Jesus tells you - commands you, even - to ask, seek, knock and find. Your Father will not leave you out in the cold, and He will not give you something that will hurt you when you've asked Him for something good. This is not to say that your Father will give you everything you ask for. Like any loving father, He knows far better what His children actually need than what we do. But don't miss the guarantee that Jesus makes here: Our Father will always give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who knows how to give good gifts to His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask, seek, and knock so that you will receive, find, and have the door opened by your Father who loves you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 1

The simple words "Our Father" pack in a ton of comforting theology. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 120 Q. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”? A. At the very beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our prayer— the childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our Father. Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith. Summary We can't speak of God as our Father without mentioning the ḥěʹ·sěḏ love of God. Isaiah begins this beautiful passage on God's Fatherliness with a proclamation of the kindnesses (NIV; ESV - steadfast love) of the Lord. These English words are examples of how Old Testament word ḥěʹ·sěḏ is translated; they are words that describe the unfailing covenant love of God. This is the love that our Father has legally obligated Himself to in adopting us as His children. In just a few verses Isaiah summarizes the story of God's people. He chose them to be His own, and to make that happen, God Himself "became their Savior... In his love and mercy He redeemed them and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, so He turned and became their enemy and He Himself fought against them (v8-10). It would seem having the sovereign, omnipotent Lord God Almighty set against these people would be the end of the story, but it can't be. It's not possible, because of the legal obligation God voluntarily took upon Himself. He cannot, and will not ever abandon His covenant people. Sometimes God, like all fathers, must discipline his insubordinate children, but unlike many fathers, God's discipline is fully rooted and carried out in love. It's this ḥěʹ·sěḏ love that Isaiah appeals to: "Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us, but you, LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from old is your name (v15-16)." Every time you open your prayer to your Father in heaven, you are appealing to that same ḥěʹ·sěḏ love that Isaiah claimed. Dig Deeper You've likely heard God described as a 'father' so many times that you never think twice about it. But take a moment and realize what must be true in order for you to legitimately be able to address God as your Father. First of all, it's a recognition that you are created in His image. This is what the Bible means when it calls God's people sons of God: they look, talk, and act like He does. So make sure your conduct always properly reflects your Father. As Jesus commanded you, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." Second, realize the tremendous price God paid for you to be His child. Just as God the Father "became their Savior" when Israel needed to be set free from slavery in Egypt, Jesus the Son became your Savior by giving His life to set you free from the slavery to sin and make you a child of God. Finally, remember what the catechism says here every time you pray to your Father in heaven: "Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, our Redeemer from old is your Name (v16); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you "will tell of the kindnesses (ḥěʹ·sěḏ love) of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised (v7)." ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 21

Don't get bogged down praying long prayers. Follow Jesus' short pattern instead. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 118 Q. What did God command us to pray for? A. Everything we need, spiritually and physically, as embraced in the prayer Christ our Lord himself taught us. Summary I wonder if the disciples were underwhelmed at first. Here they had just asked one of the best, most important question they ever ask: "Lord, teach us to pray." Not only is this one of the best things they could have asked, but there's nobody better to ask how to pray than the Son of God Himself. I'll bet that after the question was asked, a hush settled over the group in eager anticipation as to how Jesus would answer, and they sat back a bit, preparing themselves for a long and detailed explanation of how it is mortal men should speak to the Lord God Almighty. We might expect Jesus' answer here would end up making Psalm 119 look short. But instead, Jesus fully answered this all important question in just 38 words. We often refer to this passage as The Lord's Prayer, but it would be much more accurate to describe it as The Disciple's Prayer. It's not necessarily the prayer the Lord prayed, but one He gave to us, His disciples, to pray as we live for Him. We'll spend the final six weeks of this year coming to understand the pattern these 38 words set for us to pray, by Acknowledging who God is, Aligning our lives with His will, as we Ask God for "everything we need, spiritually and physically." Dig Deeper We often value things by size. If something's heavy, it's probably expensive (you might recall the fifth commandment calls us to value our parents by letting them be 'heavy' in our lives). We assume that big businesses are more profitable than small ones, and even that large churches are healthier than fellowships with just a few people. So it's not surprising to understand our instinct is that if we really want to impress God and convince Him to give us what we want, that longer and more and verbose prayers will be more effective. There is a time and place for longer public prayers filled with pious language. The Puritans perfected this art form in a way that continues to bless those who read and pray their beautiful prayers. But most of us don't have the capacity to pray this way in our day to day lives, so we don't pray as often as we should because we're intimidated by our perceived need to pray long, eloquent, prayers chock full of holy sounding words. The truth is that bigger is not always better in any aspect of life. Nearly every prayer written in the Bible, just like this model prayer that Jesus gave us, is fairly short. This is what makes it possible for you to fulfill the Bible's command to pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Colossians 4:2, Ephesians 6:18). This isn't a command to pray one massively long prayer, but to continually pray lots of short prayers all through the day. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, hallowed be your name. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Your Kingdom come; lead us not into temptation; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 20

Christianity doesn't just offer you warm fuzzies, it promises you confident knowledge of your salvation and a Father that hears you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 117 Q. How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us? A. First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed himself in his Word, asking for everything he has commanded us to ask for. Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble ourselves in his majestic presence. Third, we must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what he promised us in his Word. Summary As John begins to close his letter, he makes clear his intention in writing it: so that those who read it might know that through faith in Christ, they have eternal life. Not only is this the theme of John's first letter, it's the theme of the entire Bible: that you might know and have certainty. God performed miracle after miracle so that the world might know that He is God; right before He went to His death on the cross, Jesus prayed that His people would know His Father, and thus know eternal life. Contrast the confidence Christians have compared to those lost in the dark world. Society cannot tell you how life began or what happens after it ends. Nobody, this world tells us, can confidently delineate between right and wrong for anybody but themselves, or even know the difference between something as basic as male and female. And you certainly can't bow your head and talk to a God you can't see and truly know He hears you. This is the wonderful Good News the Bible proclaims: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God [whom we know with certainty!]: if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." Ah, but there was a caveat there! God only hears and grants those things which are according to His will. This is why most of the prayers we read in the Bible focus on the first two A's: Acknowledging who God is, which reminds you of God's awesome power, grace, mercy, and peace, and that He receives our prayers because of His Son, and Aligning our lives with His will. When you follow this pattern and make acknowledging and aligning the bulk of your prayers, you can be confident that God hears that which you Ask for. Dig Deeper Certainly it can often seem like the prayers you pray simply float up into the ether and never reach listening ears. Maybe you've been praying for something good and godly for years on end, but haven't experienced any sort of result or even an indication that God even hears or cares about what you've prayed so earnestly about. Let passages like this one here in 1 John build your confidence that "God will surely listen to your prayer because of Christ your Lord." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whom we can confidently approach in Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the confidence to know God is listening to your prayer, and that you will ask Him for things according to His will; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 19