The Perfect Prayer – Part 3: Confidence

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) 

We are concluding our summer Putting Green look at prayer with what I call the perfect prayer: Daniel Chapter 3:16-17. I call it the perfect prayer because it contains all the elements of a perfect prayer: 

Respond in faith not react in fear 

Abandon the outcome to God 

Facts 1st -Faith 2nd -Feelings a distant 3rd  

“Thank you now, Lord, before I see how you are going to work this out, because I know I will be thanking you later.” 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are faced with an impossible situation when King Nebuchadnezzar angrily threatens them with a horrific burning-alive death, but they are undaunted. Undaunted?? 

But how … why? 

They are undaunted because of their confidence in their Heavenly Father. They trust his character – keyword, do not miss that – beyond what they can see happening around them. As Tony Evans said, “If all you can see is what you see then you are not seeing all there is to see.” 

When surrounded by an army set on destroying them, Elisha’s servant panics. But not Elisha. Notice his response and his prayer rooted in confidence: 

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.(2 Kings 6:16-17)

Notice Elisha does not pray for God to send his angels to rescue them because he knows, he is confident, they are always and already with him. He responds in faith, not reacting in fear. Therefore, he is able to abandon the outcome to his perfectly loving, perfectly powerful, and perfectly present Father. 

Can you? Do you have this same confidence? You can, you know. It is up to you to appropriate these facts into your life. Satan will try to discourage you and cause doubt and uncertainty. But the closer we walk with Jesus, the easier it is to call Satan’s bluff and then ignore him, trusting our Father’s character, not what we see. 

Perhaps this is a suitable place to end our summer look: Ephesians 1:18-19: 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

You can pray that prayer for me anytime. 

May we all learn to pray and approach our Heavenly Father confidently, seeing what Elisha, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego saw and trusting who they trusted.