234: Can We Pray for “Whatever We Want”?

At face value, prayer seems to be one of the simplest and most powerful disciplines that any Christian can engage in. Prayer is an incredible privilege! We have the opportunity to talk with and potentially request things from the Supreme Creator of the universe who has the power to grant whatever we ask. This is an amazing truth! However, it seems to many believers that prayer can simultaneously be one of the more complex elements of the Christian life. When should we pray? How should we pray? What things impact our prayers? In a few verses, it even seems that Jesus is saying that we can pray for whatever we want and as long as we have faith, we’re guaranteed to get it. Is that true? In this episode, Kenny responds to an email from a regular listener about the verses that seem to allude to the fact that we can pray for “whatever we want” as long as we have faith. Kenny explains these verses in context, and the importance to allow God’s Word to transfer our desires so that our prayers will be in line with that which God already wants. Some preachers and churches have taken many of these verses out of context and began to promote the “name it, claim it” theology; claiming that we can have whatever we want and God is obligated to grant our requests, even if they are sinful or selfish in any manner. This is clearly a false teaching that has permeated the church, and in this episode Kenny exposes “name it, claim it” theology as being nonsense that maligns the actual power and beauty of prayer. Highlighted Scriptures 1 John 5:14-15 ‭‭John‬ ‭15:7-8‬ ‭‭John‬ ‭15:16-17‬ ‭‭John‬ ‭16:23-24‬ Mark 11:20-24 Matthew 6:9–13 ‭Matthew‬ ‭21:21-22‬ ‭‭James‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭‭James‬ ‭4:1-3‬