Praying with Confidence

O. T. #2217 "Praying with Confidence"

June 20, 2022 

Nahum 3

LET IT GLOW

Where is your confidence placed? John tells us where it should be placed and the result when it is placed in God. 1 John 5:14-15 says:

And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ansk any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if wwe know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. 

In the Greek, the word confidence means all out-spokenness; frankness; bluntness; assurance-bold.

When our intimacy with Christ runs deep, we have a new confidence before Him is prayer. Show me a person experiencing the life of Christ, and I'll show you someone who prays with power and confidence that God will come through. (verse 15) 

Tony Evans tells us to pray the Word, letting it be in our heart and on our tongue. Pray God's Word is done in our life and in the lives of others. Then wee can be on the same wavelength with God and pray according to His will.

LET IT GROW

God is longsuffering, patient, but there comes a time when His hand of judgment falls. Nahum gives 3 reasons why Nineveh deserved to be judged:

1. Their ruthless blood shed. (verses 1-3) The Assyrians were cleaver diplomats who lied to other nations, broke their promises, and destroyed them. they slaughtered people. Stacked up corpses like lumber to warn those opposing them. Shedding innocent blood is a serious sin that God notes, remembers, and judges. Dictators slaying innocent victims will one day answer to God.
2. Their idolatry. (verses 4-7) They worshiped the goddess of secual passion, fertility, and war. As idolatry is often associated with prostitution, Nineveh had left the worship of God and turned to idols. People become like the god that they worship (Ps. 115:8) for what we believe determines how we behave.
3. Their pride and self-confidence. (verses 8-19) Having become rich, living in luxury, and a strong army is no comparison to the power of God. What Assyria did to the people of Egypt would in turn be done to them: children dashed to pieces, leaders become slaves, people taken into exile. 

The Medes and Babylonians captured the city of Nineveh. They dranak the cup of God's wrath and become drunk. (verse 11) They took away the treasures of the Assyrians. 

LET IT GO

Your will, 

Your way,

Today, always, 

I pray.

Work on me, so I will be...