Today is January 14th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.    
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”     
    
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 John, chapter 5.   
 
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 
 
As we enter into prayer today, would you take some time and consider what word you would use to describe how it is YOU approach God? Is it confidence? Fear? Tiredness? Are you rushed? Get quiet for a few moments and think about how you felt just now – before you hit play on Be Still? Share that feeling with God. 
 
These words from first John aren’t meant to tell us that every single thing we pray for will be given to us. We all know that’s not the case in our real lives. It’s meant to speak to something far deeper… that God desires proximity with us. That God hears our prayers. That God’s will is sufficient for us. And most importantly: that God has granted us eternal life, with Him. John’s words are meant to bring comfort to a people who are used to God keeping them at arms length, because of His holiness. They are used to the idea that ‘approaching God’ would come with fear and trembling, like when the priest would enter into the temple. As you listen again, let yourself wrestle with these two truths: God wants us to be near to Him and He hears our prayers….. and sometimes, we feel otherwise.  

What do you think it means to ‘ask according to God’s will?’ That seems to me to have to do with our prayerfulness coming out of deep connection with God. That our prayer would be informed by discernment about what God is up to. IT also seems to me that a lot of times I THINK my prayers are according to God’s will. And yet I don’t feel like I ‘have what I asked of him’. Do you relate to that tension? How do you sit with those realities? As we end today, join me in being vulnerable and authentic with God and talk with Him about things or prayers that haven’t been answered, and that I don’t understand. He loves you, and wants to accompany you as you seek Him in this confusing space.