Prayer is a great opportunity that we have.  “Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  And he that keepeth his commandments dwells in him, and he in him.  And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us” (1 John 3:22‑‑24).  By the Spirit which He has given us.  I just quoted earlier out of the fifth chapter here, you might just look over again, at verse 14.  “This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us.”  Now, we know from John’s Gospel that this verse, here in the epistle, can actually be stated this way: If we ask anything in His name.  To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray the will of God.

To pray in the name of Jesus is to come forth—remember we’re warring in the heavenlies.  This isn’t just about ourselves.  We’re in the heavenlies warring for those that are captives of Satan.  The Bible makes it very clear that they have their eyes blinded, scales upon their eyes that they would not be able to believe the light of the glorious gospel.  We’re praying for these people to be loosed; amen?  It’s God’s will that they all be saved.   He’s not willing that any should perish.  We’re praying in the Holy Ghost.  We’re declaring those promises.  “Lord, You don’t want anybody to perish, so, as I go to share the gospel, strip the scales off of their eyes.  Go before me supernaturally and illuminate their hearts and their minds.”

When you think of your prayer time, begin to see how much of it should be spent on believing for people to be redeemed, praise God!  How does that practically manifest itself?  How are they are going to hear without a preacher?  When I’m praying, I’m praying also in the Spirit saying, “Let me die to myself.  Let this pride die.  Let this fear be overcome, praise God.  Let this laziness, this slothfulness in the kingdom of God be driven out of my life.  Put my priorities in line.”  That’s all that’s going on in our prayer closets as we’re praying the will of God.  Not my will, Thy will be done.  Praying according to the will of God.  What’s the will of God?  That none perish.  How are they going to hear it without a preacher?  “I sought for a man, and I couldn’t find anybody.  Lift up your eyes and look, the fields are white unto harvest.  Who will go for Me?”  Here am I, send me; amen?

I think back that 50‑whatever-years ago it was.  I can still see myself walking up the aisle to that altar.  I remember falling on my knees as that young man, and my heart was pierced.  And with everything that was in me I cried out, “Here am I, Lord.  I’ll go where You want me to go.  No turning back.  No turning back.”  And tears.  I think some of us that have been immersed need to be sprinkled with our own tears that we could be baptized again into commitment to this great privilege of preaching the gospel to all the world.  It is a mandate.  It is a commandment.  And there’s one way to prepare ourselves, and it’s in His presence.  There’s one way to prepare ourselves; remembering what condition we were in when He loved us as sinners.  Remembering who was sent to us to speak a word in season.  Here am I, send me.

The victories are won as we’re emptying our hearts out in the prayer closet that God would be glorified.  And this boldness then rises in our hearts.  I can say one thing as I hearken back to that day.  I, with all of my heart, never believed that we would be here today.  I thought for sure Jesus would be back by now.  But God’s merciful, and there’s more souls to be reached.  No man is greater than his prayer life.