"...if we ask anything"
1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Num 9: 18 “At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped.... When the cloud was taken up, they would journey, whether by day or by night....”
James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
“Unanswered prayers have taught me to seek the Lord’s will instead of my own. I suppose most of us (have) had such experiences. We have prayed and prayed and prayed, and no answer has come. The heavens above us have been as brass. Yea, blessed brass, if it has taught us to sink a little more of this ever-present self of ours into the Cross of Christ. Sometimes our petition has been such a good one, to all appearances, but that does not ensure it being of God. Many ‘good desires’ proceed from our uncrucified selves.... Perhaps if we examined ourselves more thoroughly before God, we might even discover, in some cases, that the whole course of our life was not in accordance with His will. What right would a man have, in such a case, to expect his prayers to be answered? But is not this the fact with regard to much ‘good Christian work?’ ‘Get your work from God’ is a needed injunction. How often Christian leaders make their own plans, work hard at them, and then earnestly ask God’s blessing on them. How much better, as Hudson Taylor felt, to wait on God to know His plans before commencing!” Much Christian work seem to have the stamp of carnal upon it. It may be ‘good,’ it may be successful outwardly — but the Shekinah Glory is not there.” Eileen Crossman, Mountain Rain, (Robesonia, PA: OMF Books, 1987), p. 89.
“We must have the assurance that we are in the right place, doing the right work. We must be sure that God is leading us, when we enter upon specific prayer. It does not follow that because a thing is the will of God, He will necessarily lead you to pray for it. He may have other burdens for you. We must get our prayers from God, and pray to know His will. It may take time. God was dealing with Hudson Taylor for fifteen years before He laid upon him the burden of definite prayer for the foundation of the China Inland Mission. God is not in a hurry. He cannot do things with us until we are trained and ready for them.” Eileen Crossman, p. 90.
“John supposes (1 John 5: 14, 15) that when we pray, we first find out if our prayers are according to the will of God.... But this is just the difficulty. More than one believer says: ‘I do not know if what I desire be according to the will of God. God’s will is the purpose of His infinite wisdom: it is impossible for me to know whether He may not count something else better for me than what I desire....’ The great mistake here is that God’s children do not really believe this, they do not take the time and trouble to find it out. What we need is to see clearly in what way it is that the Father leads his waiting, teachable child to know that his petition is according to His will.” Andrew Murray, “With Christ in the School of Prayer,” Page 163
“Do understand that there is no surer way, rather, that there is no other possible way, of getting into God’s love and blessing in prayer, than by getting into His will. In prayer, give up yourself most absolutely to the blessed will of God; this will avail more than much asking.” Andrew Murray, School of Obedience.
“It is to be feared that often our efforts to believe have been unavailing because we have not taken up the only position in which a large faith is legitimate or possible—that of entire surrender to the honor and the will of God. It is the man who is entirely consecrated to God and His will (to whom) the power will come to claim everything that His God has promised to be for him.” Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer, (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1979), pp. 129, 130.
“In reading about all these answers to prayer, the believing reader may be led to think that I am spiritually minded above most of the children of God, and that therefore the Lord favors (me) thus. The true reason is this. Just in as many points as (I am) acting according to the mind of God, in so many (am I) blessed and made a blessing.” George Müller, Narratives.
“Daniel’s loyalty to the will of God in everything explains more than anything else the secret of his prevailing power in prayer.” Thomas Payne, Power of Intensified Prayer.
“Christ says, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ Mark 11: 24 He makes it plain that our asking must be according to God’s will; we must ask for the things that He has promised, and whatever we receive must be used in doing His will. The conditions met, the promise is unequivocal.” Ellen White, Education, p. 257 - 258.
“Christ, in His life on earth, made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.” Ellen White, Ministry of Healing, p. 479.