Confidence

Our pastor preached recently on one of my favorite topics, prayer. He taught us that we must first of all- pray, then be earnest, be clean, make it about bringing God glory, and be persistent. A week later he preached on being confident when we pray.

Confidence is having no doubt, worry, or concern, but instead having power that nothing can hinder.

 1 John 3:21b-22a says "...have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him..."

Confidence= Believing God is with us

This is not the world's counterfeit confidence of our power and ability. God confidence is in His ability and power and counting on His supernatural working. It is built on God's Word and bases strength on what God says. God wants to do something amazing in our lives even more than we do.

We lack confidence when our hearts condemns us. Satan gets us to think about our sins. We lose boldness. It is a great tactic of the enemy to hinder our prayer life. It isn't about our righteousness. It is about God's. God is greater than our hearts, greater than our sin. Confess it, seek His forgiveness, and accept it. Then get back to praying.

This last week  I was reminded again that prayer is battle, and satan likes to make us our own worse enemy. Like my pastor said, "Think about it: we are the greatest influence on ourselves. Who else talks to us so much?"

My friend and I were discussing high school football, and a team that has had a lot of injuries. He said "If they were more aggressive, they would hold better physical forms that would protect the body." What the team lacks is inner confidence. It would come out as being more aggressive that would end up keeping them from getting so hurt. Picture David charging down the hill to face the giant Goliath. Now that youth had God confidence!

Do you see the spiritual application?  If we would have more inner confidence in God, we would be more aggressive against satan and he wouldn't end up wounding us so much. Our "form" would be better.

This applies to the whole team as well. The family. The church. As each member has greater God confidence, the whole team would be more protected, and gain more ground.

Verses on confidence:

Ps 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Eph 3:12 In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit,
and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh

Acts 28:31
(Paul) Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Heb 10:25
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

Prov 3:26
For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Prov 14:26
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence and His children shall have a place of refuge.