Sixth Sunday of Easter (1882)

John 16:23-30

No doubt all Christians pray - faith and prayer cannot be separated - but they
rarely pray with boldness. Mighty obstacles from now on confront them. What? The
flesh lazy to all good, that the conscience throws into the heart weighty and accusatory
sins, the increase in distress and the delay of being heard, Satan, doubt against God and
His Word. Yes, joy in prayer so often falls away. Under such circumstances, "praying
confidently and with all assurance" to the heavenly Father is hard. And yet we
Christians should constantly pray with all boldness.
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What gives us Christians joy in prayer?

1. God invites us to prayer;
2. we should pray in Jesus' name;
3. our prayer has certain promises and
4. we also learn at times the answer.

1.
If we did not have God's will, command, and His good pleasure for our prayer,
who then could pray with boldness? Seeking God's face, talking to Him, pouring out
my heart in front of Him, asking Him for gifts, is a great thing. What rebel would dare
to appear without command and permission pleading before the throne of his prince?
And how could we, by nature apostate, sinner, dust and ashes, dare to enter praying
before the majesty without command? But praise God! God Himself invites us to prayer.
He, the great and merciful God, has sent His only-begotten Son from heaven with the
mandate: "Tell my children: you shall pray to the Father; this is His gracious and good
will, and He looks at your prayer with favor." Yes, that gives us Christians boldness in
prayer.

2.
If we Christians ought come before God praying on the basis of our worthiness
and piety, then good night boldness in prayer! We would then hear the voice sounding
back from the holy place: "Depart from me, you evildoers." Therein stands the
wickedness of the evildoers: They stand before God on their righteousness. All our
righteousness is as filthy rags. But praise God! We Christians should pray in Jesus' name.

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Hebrews 3:12, 4:14.
This name has a good sound in heaven. In this name we are pure from all sins, perfectly
righteous before God, without spot and blemish, holy. Relying on Christ's most holy
merit, i.e. praying in the name of Jesus, surely pleases God, this is a pleasant incense to
Him, this magnificent name gives us boldness in prayer.

3.
It would be burdensome for us Christians if the answer to our prayer would be
uncertain. Must we pray with established doubt: who knows whether God pays
attention to your prayer? Who knows whether He hears you? No Christian could have
certainty in this! This would be dreadful. Doubt destroys all confident courage and all
boldness. Praise God, it is otherwise, we Christians have certain promises for our prayer.
"Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." Asking and giving,
seeking and finding, knocking and opening here belong together. We do not separate
what God has joined together. The Lord swears to this: Truly, truly etc.; He prays for us
and with us in heaven.
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The Father Himself loves us. The promises of God stand firm as
rock. God does not lie. "Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to
you." This promise is certain. How should this not give us Christians boldness in
prayer?

4.
What has been said above would not be enough in the end if we should find our
prayer never being heard. No, always ask and never take, always must leave with
empty hearts and empty-handed, would ultimately rob us of all joy in prayer. Failure
destroys courage and boldness. But praise God! We Christians at times learn the answer to
our prayer. What Christian should not learn at times: There is an eye in heaven that sees
me, and an ear that hears my cry, and a heart that beats for me? Our God does what the
righteous desire, he gives them more than prayer and understanding. But nothing can
be more pleasing to the heart than this experience. "There is my joy complete." But this
experience is then also boldness in prayer.
Conclusion: a short but genuine evangelical invitation to pray to the heavenly
Father "boldly and with all confidence," as children love their dear father.
Georg Link

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John 16:26.