Perhaps the first reaction some of you had to the title of this post is; “I disagree with that. I always know the will of God.” But I have the Bible on my side when I say we don’t always know God’s will when we pray. The Bible says, “The Holy Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought” (Romans 8:26, KJV).
As Christians, we can know when we pray, whether are not we are praying according to the will of God. We can know that because the Word of God teaches us what pleases God and what does not please Him. Because of that, we can always know if our requests to God fall within His will. But still, we don’t always know the specific will of God for a specific situation.
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul the apostle talks about a thorn in his flesh. He calls it a messenger of Satan to torment him. Paul said he prayed to the Lord three times for this torment to be taken away (see 2 Corinthians 12:8).
If we were enduring what Paul the apostle was subjected to, wouldn’t we pray for deliverance also? Of course, we would. And would it not be the will of God for us to pray accordingly? Of course, it would.
But in this case, God did not respond the way Paul requested. God chose to do otherwise. Instead of delivering Paul from the torment, God gave him sufficient grace to endure it. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness,” the Lord replied (verse 9, KJV).
So, Paul’s request was consistent with God’s will, but it did not reflect the specific will of God for the situation at hand. The same is true about us at times when we pray.
The Holy Spirit Always Knows the Will of God
So, what are the practical implications of what I am saying here? It is that since we often pray in accordance with the general will of God but don’t always know His specific will, we need to listen up for God to speak to us. In other words, prayer is not a one-way conversation but dialogue. We make our requests to God. But He reserves the right to respond differently, as He did in the case of Paul the apostle.
God does not simply rubber stamp our requests to Him. We can’t assume that because we make a specific request to God that He is on board with our intent. He gets to have the final word. That’s because, well, He is God.
Paul the apostle refers to our inability to pray as we should as an infirmity. An infirmity is a weakness or a human shortcoming. Paul says, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought.” The good news is that the Holy Spirit helps us in this area. He always knows the perfect will of God. He always prays accordingly:
“The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26b-27, NASB
Do you seek to know God’s will for the things you pray to Him about?
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.