What is Prayer Centered On?

Read: John 14:13

Reflect: What should our prayers be centered around?

Request (Prayer): Ask for God to be glorified in your life and in everything you pray for.

John 14:13 says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

The whole idea behind prayer is not so we can get what we want, but to align our will and desires with God’s. What does that mean?

When we ask for things in life, a bike, new clothes, an upgraded cell phone, etc., we are desiring things that appeal to us. We are using the opportunity we have to tell our parents what we want and why we want, and usually we want what is desiring to our eyes. we don’t ask for more wisdom, more knowledge, a lot of times we just desire the things of this world.

Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in MY name, that will I do.” Jesus was explaining that He does not want us asking things in our own name (what we want), rather ask for the things that matter in life, more patience, kindness, and self-control. What do you desire in life? We don’t ask and pray to God so that we can be glorified, so that others can see us and give us glory or praise us, God wants the glory!

Is that newest gadget going to glorify God or yourself? Are those new shoes going to be used to make yourself popular or to make God popular? We need to really see the important things in life and how we can use things to glorify God through them.

If you can honestly say that the things you desire in life will glorify God than there should be no reason for you to feel ashamed of asking for that thing. But if your intention and desire is to use it to make yourself more popular than God, chances are, God will not give it to you because it is more for yourself than it is for God.

Desire the things of God and not of the world, for everything in the world is dying away, along with it’s desires, so seek God and His Kingdom and He will reward you. For further study read 1 John 2:15-17.