SOLEMN REQUEST - PART 4

THURSDAY 01 FEBRUARY 2024

Making a solemn request to God enhances our profiting by the Word of God because our divinely-inspired desires are fashioned from the Word. So we must make the best endeavour to always pray in line with the Scriptures, so that the Word will always be the foundation on which our prayers are firmly established in our lives.

The Word of God is sacred; it is the excellence of divine nature. This means that our solemn requests based on the Word, exemplify the dignity of our priestly office, and adorn the excellence of our devoted service to God, bearing in mind that all true born again Christians are a holy priesthood and therefore, are very precious to God.

Reference: 1st John 5:14-15 New International Version (NIV)

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him."

The third segment in the above versified statement is:

He hears us.

His auditory perception is quick-witted, and if hear hears us, it means that He is fully awake and receptive to our requests. As soon as we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Moreover, let me assume that you have not asked according to His will - He still hears you. What do I mean by this? He is not deaf to prayers that are contrary to His will; He hears everything as an omnipresent God. So the Scripture doesn't suggest that He only hears what is in accordance with His will. God has never been deaf; He is not hard of hearing. In fact, He has no form of deafness in Him because He created sound. He also hears the sounds that are not audible to humans.

Think about this: If God can know our thoughts and imaginations, what about the auditory sensations evoked by our human speech? When apostle Paul stated that He does exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, this truth already reveals something important. Apart from acknowledging God as being omniscient, His power that works in us is more than able to transmit every aspect of our thought and speech pattern to His awareness. Definitely, He made us by His Spirit. Proverbs 20:27 says, "The LORD's light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive"(NLT). In other words, the Lord can shed light on the innermost being of a man and examine the inner rooms of the soul and spirit.

So when Johannine literature assures that He hears us, if we ask anything according to His will, it doesn't mean that He is deaf otherwise. It simply means that He pays proper attention to the prayers of the saints more than anyone else. To that effect, Psalm 34:15 reads, "The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help" (NLT). When a solemn request is consciously designed on the platform or principles of the foundation of the Word, God hears it, because He is particularly responsive to the Word of His grace.

The last time I checked and considered the Greek term for the English verb, "to hear", the original text or meaning that indicates the "hearing" which applies to the context of our referenced Scripture - suggests a very much heavier solution than just "being endowed with the faculty of hearing, and not being deaf." The Greek word "akouo" means "to hear", and the (2b) interpretation in Thayer's Greek Lexicon is the accurate rendering, applicable to our versified reference, meaning: "to attend to; to consider what is or has been said."

Beloved, God's ears are attentive to our solemn request. Isaiah 65:24 reads, "It shall also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear" (AMP). God superintends the execution of all facets and stages of the prayers of the saints - from start to finish. This can be noticed in the manner which Isaiah rendered it:

Firstly, before they call, I will answer, meaning that He prompts them to pray; He grants such desire, knowing that He will answer. Then secondly, while they are still speaking and revealing the mind of their desire, He hears and approves it.

Therefore, commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5 NKJV). Stay tuned for part 5. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Matthew 7:7; Mark 11:24; John 15:7; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 11:6.

Guided Prayer:

Gracious Father in heaven, you answer the prayers of the righteous swiftly, and you surround them with omnipresent favour. For this very thing, I praise you; on account of this, I stand without doubt to receive answers in connection to significations of your perfect will, in Jesus' Name, Amen!