Many people struggle by not knowing how to pray and have faith for something. 1 John 5:13-15 talks about the key ingredients of a powerful prayer and connecting this with Jesus’s teaching in Mark 11:24 we will see how to spruce up your prayer life! First, 1 John 5:13-15 says:
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
First, Know You have Eternal Life Now!
If someone believes in the name of the Son of God, they have eternal life NOW. If I had a penny for every time someone told me that when you kick the bucket, you get eternal life, I’d be richer than a cat in a sunbeam! But that’s just not the case. Surprise! You actually have eternal life right now!
This divine life transforms your identity. When you accept Jesus, you become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and that new identity means you’re inherently blessed, healed, and victorious. This isn’t about self-help; it’s about walking in the power of who you are in Christ right now. That divine, eternal quality of life should overflow into every area—physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual—making your everyday life a testimony of God’s power and grace. What John had just written about God’s testimony (1 John 5:9-12) aims to assure his readers that, despite anything the antichrists have said, believers do indeed possess eternal life. One’s assurance rests on God.
Second, Pray with Confidence
First, let’s focus if WE ASK. Who are we? The children of God, perfected in love, we have boldness to stand in front of Him. John said earlier that the love of God in you, casts all fear in you, and now you have boldness to stand before your Father in heaven. You do not have to be ashamed, because where there is shame or fear, faith doesnt exist. You can boldly ask God.
Then the focus is if we ask ANYTHING according to His will. Powerful isn’t it? John was confident of this. The only reason people don’t ask God for His help is because they aren’t confident that they will receive what they ask for. What is God’s will? His Word is His will. We don’t have to just toss out “if it be Your will” at the end of every prayer and wonder what is going to happen. When we pray the Word and know we are asking in agreement with that Word, we can be confident that God has heard us. He has provided for us everything that pertains to life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, and all we have to do is to ask in faith.
Third, Know the ANSWER is always Yes
The answer is always Yes, when it is God’s will. I have heard people preach that there are three answers God gives, yes, no and wait. Show it to me in the Bible. You won’t find it. These are all humanistic traditions that have been added to the Word. First of all, you need to have faith in what you asked for, and faith cannot provide something which God hasn’t provided by grace already. Whatever God has provided is already according to His will. So, when we have faith, and it is God’s will, it is ours, there is no NO and wait in it, because all the promises are Yes and Amen.
And as the next verse says(1 John 5:15), when we know God has heard us, we know we have the results He has promised. How do we do that?
Fourth, Believe You Have Received it
Mark 11:24 expands on this.
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
What does these mean? Let’s say you prayed for something now, the verse states clearly that it is mine. Why? Because faith is the “title-deed” of the things hoped for (Heb 11:1). When you pray for something in faith, and it is yours. You have received it. You have to settle it in yourself that you have received it. Many people say that they received it, and then they say that they shall receive it. Some people play with the words saying that they have received it, but waiting for the manifestation. No! You received it. You might ask, but I don’t have it in my hand? Yes. But that doesn’t mean that you haven’t received it. When Costco sends you an end of the year check saying that you have a gift card of 500$, you don’t wait till you use it to receive it. You have it. The gift card is the proof. Similarly, your faith is the proof that you have received it.
Fifth, Have it!
Then, once you have settled that you have received it, you SHALL have it. See the “having” part here refers to the getting the thing you prayed for in the physical sense. But, the moment you prayed for it, and if it was God’s will, it was yours. So, that means once you prayed for something, then whenever you talk about it is in past-tense. Don’t say anything that disagrees with that. See, this is why people find it hard to talk to people of faith, because people of faith have a different language. They talk about the things that they have by faith, and the non-faith people just are dumbfounded. This is called trust.
George Muller’s faith in this Word
One classic example of George Müller’s trust in God’s provision involves a time when the orphanage was running low on milk. Rather than panic, Müller prayed earnestly for God to supply exactly what was needed. Then, with confidence, he instructed the children, saying, “Set the table and sit down.” Even though there was no milk yet, the children obeyed without hesitation, trusting in Müller’s leadership. A short time later, just as everyone was seated and ready, a shipment of milk arrived—exactly the right amount to feed all the children. A milk truck had apparently broken down.
This miraculous provision not only met their immediate need but also served as a powerful lesson for the children. They saw firsthand that trusting and obeying God, even when the circumstances seemed dire, could result in exactly what was needed at just the right moment. See, the progression of this, the moment Muller had faith and prayed, it was his, he received the title deed of it. Though it wouldn’t make any sense to sit when there is no milk, it would make perfect sense because in the spiritual realm, he has the title deed of the milk, and then it is only a matter of when. Soon, the kids had the milk. Praise God!
Conclusion
What we feel doesnt matter, only what the Word said matters. You need to settle it in your heart. The enemy will try his best for you to say something contrary to what we prayed for, but our words have power and we should not say anything that is against it. If you agree with God, then you shall have it, but if you agree with the nay-sayers that you shall not have it. Pray confidently, knowing that He hears your prayer, He has already answered it in Christ, and you have it in faith!
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