Sixth Sunday of Easter (1882)John 16:23-30

No doubt all Christians pray - faith and prayer cannot be separated - but they rarely pray with boldness. Mighty obstacles from now on confront them. What? The flesh lazy to all good, that the conscience throws into the heart weighty and accusatory sins, the increase in distress and the delay of being heard, Satan, doubt against God and His Word. Yes, joy in prayer so often falls away. Under such circumstances, "praying confidently and with all assurance" to the heavenly Father is hard. And yet we Christians should constantly pray with all boldness.1

What gives us Christians joy in prayer?

1. God invites us to prayer;2. we should pray in Jesus' name;

3. our prayer has certain promises and4. we also learn at times the answer.

1.If we did not have God's will, command, and His good pleasure for our

prayer, who then could pray with boldness? Seeking God's face, talking to Him, pouring out my heart in front of Him, asking Him for gifts, is a great thing. What rebel would dare to appear without command and permission pleading before the throne of his prince? And how could we, by nature apostate, sinner, dust and ashes, dare to enter praying before the majesty without command? But praise God! God Himself invites us to prayer. He, the great and merciful God, has sent His only-begotten Son from heaven with the mandate: "Tell my children: you shall pray to the Father; this is His gracious and good will, and He looks at your prayer with favor." Yes, that gives us Christians boldness in prayer.

2.If we Christians ought come before God praying on the basis of our

worthiness and piety, then good night boldness in prayer! We would then hear the voice sounding back from the holy place: "Depart from me, you evildoers." Therein stands the wickedness of the evildoers: They stand before God on their righteousness. All our righteousness is as filthy rags. But praise God! We Christians should pray in Jesus' name. This name has a good sound in heaven. In this name we are pure from all sins, perfectly righteous before God, without spot and blemish, holy. Relying on Christ's most holy merit, i.e. praying in the name of Jesus, surely pleases God, this is 1 Hebrews 3:12, 4:14.

a pleasant incense to Him, this magnificent name gives us boldness in prayer.

3.It would be burdensome for us Christians if the answer to our prayer

would be uncertain. Must we pray with established doubt: who knows whether God pays attention to your prayer? Who knows whether He hears you? No Christian could have certainty in this! This would be dreadful. Doubt destroys all confident courage and all boldness. Praise God, it is otherwise, we Christians have certain promises for our prayer. "Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." Asking and giving, seeking and finding, knocking and opening here belong together. We do not separate what God has joined together. The Lord swears to this: Truly, truly etc.; He prays for us and with us in heaven.2 The Father Himself loves us. The promises of God stand firm as rock. God does not lie. "Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." This promise is certain. How should this not give us Christians boldness in prayer?

4.What has been said above would not be enough in the end if we

should find our prayer never being heard. No, always ask and never take, always must leave with empty hearts and empty-handed, would ultimately rob us of all joy in prayer. Failure destroys courage and boldness. But praise God! We Christians at times learn the answer to our prayer. What Christian should not learn at times: There is an eye in heaven that sees me, and an ear that hears my cry, and a heart that beats for me? Our God does what the righteous desire, he gives them more than prayer and understanding. But nothing can be more pleasing to the heart than this experience. "There is my joy complete." But this experience is then also boldness in prayer.

Conclusion: a short but genuine evangelical invitation to pray to the heavenly Father "boldly and with all confidence," as children love their dear father.

Georg Link

2 John 16:26.