Confidence before God only comes to believers who know they are loved, forgiven and accepted by God when they repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).  Knowing the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, our hearts can rest in His presence (1 John 3:19).  We know that we are no longer under God’s wrath (John 3:36) nor condemned by Him (Romans 8:1); instead, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1).

That peace gives us the desire and assurance to come to His throne and request what we know will please Him.  Prayer is not only thanking or asking; it is a relational conversation in which we know that we belong and therefore can expect His kindness. There is an intimacy of relationship which asks with the expectation of receiving (Matthew 7:7-11), and thanks, knowing that God welcomes our gratitude.

Prayer within that relationship is no longer a religious rite.  It is a conversation with God where we are confident that He hears us and will take the right action.  But each conversation has been preceded by the gift of His Spirit helping us to understand His commands (John 14:25-27).  Our responsibility is to listen to His commands and obey (John 14:15-21); He listens to our requests and provides appropriately dynamic answers. We please Him in our obedience, and He thrills us with His powerful response to our prayers (Luke 11:13).

Some believers are nervous to ask the Lord, even though He said that we may ask for anything in His Name (John 14:13).  And how many really expect to receive?  Yes, we need to be confident to ask and also confident to receive.  That is the mark of a real relationship with the Lord.  Like in any other matter, confidence comes through open communication and reciprocal acts of love.  It is a matter of practice and can start today as we trust and obey - then ask Him to intervene … and expect Him to take action.