1 John 3:21, 22 says,...

Today's verses are 1 John 3:21, 22, which read,

v.21 - Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;...

Yesterday, our hearts condemned us because our feelings were bigger than our God.  God is greater than our feelings and God knows all but we choose to live our life based on our feelings and these facts are set aside.  If we live by the facts about God then our God is bigger than anything this world throws at us and our heart doesn't condemn but brims with confidence about our God.  These words are easier to type than to live out at times but John is giving those he loves dearly instruction to have a right relationship with God in action.

I know that I have gotten myself into places I should not have been and thoughts I should not have had when my God is too small in my eyes.  I have short changed what He can do and what He knows that I don't know.  Our faith is not to be based on our feelings but on the facts of God.

v.22 - ...and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

This is one of those verses that gets twisted to make God a puppet to anything we ask of Him.  Usually what is quoted is just the first half of the verse.  Sometimes it is best to flip the phrases around so we see it more clearly.
"Because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight, whatever we ask we receive from Him."
If we are keeping God's commandments and fulfilling the great Commission then our prayers will be focused on the kingdom of God advancing because that is what our focus will be.  Keeping the commandments and living lives holy and glorifying God changes our prayers.  Living with God bigger than our feelings, changes our prayers.  This is not a verse that is talking about selfish prayers but prayers in accordance to God's will.

My heart is set on God and my actions are in accordance to His glory and His word is supreme and because of that I come before Him with my prayers that are focused on Him and His glory.  This makes me look at the content of my prayers and also the content of my life toward and with God.

"Lord, may my prayers change to reflect You.  Thank you for the confidence that You give me when my eyes and my actions are centered on You.  May my day reflect more of You than me today.  Amen."
Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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