To many people, the subject of prayer is puzzling and confusing. And that is why many people get

guilt-stricken when they hear a sermon on prayer. Because very few people ever feel good or confident

about their prayer life. And consequently, they begin to feel guilt.

Well, that's not what I want you to do today. I hope that is not what's going to happen.

But what I hope what's going to happen is that you will come to biblical understanding

of what prayer is all about.

And today the Apostle John concludes his epistle that we have been looking at for some time now

entitled Life at its Best. And today he concludes it by clarifying, by crystallizing, by making very clear to us what prayer is all about.

And he tells us two things.

He tells us about confidence in prayer and he tells us about privilege prayer. He tells us about having confidence in our prayer

life. Very few people pray with confidence, and I'm going to explain to you why. You and I

familiar with how the term prayer is used in public, in people in general, or in the media,

particularly. When there is a crisis somewhere in the world or some problem or some difficulties,

you hear people in the media talk about, well, you have our best wishes and prayers. And I often wonder what they really mean by that. I think most

times they really mean is a wishful thinking about the situation. What they really mean is an

expression of a deep desire regarding that situation. Or wanting something to happen so badly and wishing it so hard that it may happen.

Or sometimes they probably mean cajoling some sort of a heavenly entity, someone out there

to do something, that they cannot do themselves. In fact, most people think of prayer the way my children and I

used to play a game when they were little. Probably some of you have played that same game.

You know, so when kids were really little, I would put the quarters in my hand. And I say,

if you can pry my hand open, you'll get it.

Some of you know what I'm talking about.

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