[Maximum Joy Series] Standing on God’s PromisesSample

The Practice of Prayer in Jesus’ Name

We have come a long way. Today, we have arrived at the third wave of principles for fellowship. The barriers that may hinder us from experiencing Maximum Joy are at their height. Our biggest problem in right loving is our own fear of rejection; our biggest problem in right learning is not to believe the testimony of God regarding His Son; and our most significant problem in right living is sin which can lead directly to death. 

But when we observe our Christian brothers sinning, whether it’s a sin leading directly to death or not, we have an opportunity to love him by praying for his deliverance from sin in the name of Jesus. That’s what John explains in 1 John 5:16-17. 

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin, not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17). 

This promise does not extend to those brothers/sisters who are committing sins which lead directly to death. All sin leads to death (Proverbs 11:19; Romans 6:23; James 5:20). But not all sins lead directly to death (envy, lying, slander, gossip, pride, manipulation, anger, deception, lust, hypocrisy, for example). It does not say we cannot pray for such, but there is no guarantee of deliverance. 

When we pray for the sinning brother, we can be confident that God will answer our prayer positively. Thus, the name of Jesus becomes a “fountain of life” for the sinning believer who gets a longer life plus joy when he repents and for the praying brother when he receives a positive answer for his prayer. We get joy from answered prayer, and the sinning brother gets restored joy when he returns to fellowship (and potentially a longer life). 

What is the “fountain of life”? Prayer for our brothers opens the door to the fountain of life. God listens to us, He knows all about us, He knows our need, He knows His promises and the joy that comes with answered prayer. God’s perfect love will lead us to live and experience Maximum Joy.