ETERNAL LIFE REQUESTS AND HOW TO PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS

Eternal life, requests and how to pray for Christians 

This is a very interesting study because the Apostle John says so much in a small group of verses. If we truly believe in the Person of Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit as a witness inside our spirit. If a person does not believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God then this individual is calling God The Father a liar according to 1 John 5:10. This person does not believe the record that God gave of His Son.

I find the word "Record" a very interesting choice of words. Did you know that everything gets recorded from heaven on this earth? Everything we do from beginning to end is being taped along with our thoughts and attitudes.

John uses the word "Record" again in verse eleven to reiterate his point and assures us we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. Most denominations are false brands of true Christianity and many think they have the Son of God living in their hearts but half truth and half lies will keep a person away from Jesus Christ if they absorb what they are being taught.

If we have the Son (Jesus Christ) we have life but if we do not have the Son (Jesus Christ) we do not have life. A person that does not know Jesus Christ in a personal way is dead in his or her sins and headed to a place of death better known as the second death.

In verse thirteen the Apostle John says two times that if we believe on the name of the Son of God we have eternal life.

We can have confidence in Him because if we ask a request to God in the will of the Triune Godhead Jesus Christ will hear our prayer. I think it is interesting that the Holy Spirit put a condition in verse fourteen regarding what we will receive from God. John goes deeper and explains that when Jesus Christ does hear our prayer/prayers we can know that ... "We know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." I will explain this in a more detailed way as the article progresses.

Verse sixteen is quite complicated but in the most broad sense of the word we should be very concerned if our brother falls into sin. The Holy Spirit gets very specific as to our part in the stumbling of Christians but I will delve into this deeper after I quote this passage.

We need to understand that all unrighteousness is sin and should be very alert to staying clean before God. This is not an easy process but very rewarding in the end. Let me quote the passage I will be going over which is 1 John 5:10-17.

(10) "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. (11) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (14) And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: (15) And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. (16) If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. (17) All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." 1 John 5: 10-17.

Our strength is in Jesus Christ. People should see this evidence on the outside but it is our heart that people will be able to sense because I have seen this happen many times. There are certain speakers I can listen to and feel their spirit and just take comfort in knowing they are on the right path in the Person of Jesus Christ. These people usually testify what Jesus Christ did for them in their soul. I can see Christ formed in these Christians and they are growing in the fullness and perfect image of the Son of God.

John goes on in verse ten talking about the sin of unbelief. This person either does not believe God sent His Son into the world or that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God.

When we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts we were given eternal life through Him because a person that is united to the Son of God is united to life. This is a "Life" that most people around us do not have in their spirit. If someone refuses Jesus Christ which can be done in a blunt or casual way he or she obviously does not have eternal life. If they continue on this path they will face the second death. I have read several verses on this and heard many testimonies on the reality of hell. This is one place you do not want to find yourself in because it is a horrible existence. 

John was writing to believers in Jesus Christ to comfort them but also that they might keep abiding in Jesus Christ. A Christian is either moving forward in their faith or they usually do nothing and become lukewarm. The Apostle did not desire this for his readers and wanted them to continue trusting Jesus Christ.

We really should bring all of our needs and desires to God all day long even in our busy routines. Verse fourteen says our prayer must be in line with the will of God. If this is the case we should have confidence that our intercession will be heard in heaven. If our requests before God are heard and accepted then our prayer will be answered but in the timing of the Triune Godhead.  

Now we have arrived at the final two verses in this passage that I am going over with you. I will make a confession to you in that I never really like extremely difficult verses because I am a very simple man. I just pray to God that the Holy Spirit will give me wisdom in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John devotes an entire verse in how to pray for others regarding their sin/sins in their spirit. First I want to say that before we get into praying for other people we better check ourselves and our spirit regarding our transgressions. If we are not right there is no way we can apply this biblical principle before God. If this is the case "If" the person we are praying for heard our silent prayer he or she may ask, "Who are you to be praying for me?"

John makes a distinction in that there is a sin not unto death and a sin unto death. God will chastise ( discipline) us for sin/sins but He also holds the right to put us through a horrible trial that is completely unrelated to our transgressions. Our role is to stay strong in Jesus Christ especially when we are weak.

This divine chastisement has nothing to do with us because the degree of pressure that the Triune Godhead applies to his children is solely up to God.

There are many opinions on this verse because John never really defines what a sin unto death is but I believe the general direction will help considering the serious nature of this subject.

When a Christian is trying his or her best and commits transgressions but does not mean to do this then that is not considered willful sin. They are blindly committing these sins but trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. They are trying to serve God with the right spirit but have an ignorance to what they are doing regarding repeating the same sin/sins over and over again. This could also be the Christian that openly admits he or she has a besetting sin but is having a hard time forsaking the transgression. 

This passage does not say we can not in a loving way confront the person but it does imply we can pray for their forgiveness. We all should be confessing our sins everyday. Even more specifically verse sixteen says we can pray for life in this person. Jesus Christ is the God of life.

Even though they are Christians in one way or another a little or large part of them died on the inside of their spirit. We are allowed to intercede for them but be very detailed in that Jesus Christ Himself has to be made manifested in their soul through problems and hardships. You would be surprised at the results that may be seen through consistent prayer behind the scenes for this type of believer in Jesus Christ.

In the sin unto death the Apostle John can give no promise attached to our prayer for them; therefore, when we intercede for them the prayer is conditional. Let me say the same thing in a different way. This verse does not say we can not go to the throne room for them but it does say that no promises are attached to this sincere prayer.

With the first type of Christian (the believer in Jesus Christ that is not willfully sinning) there is a promise that the Holy Spirit will eventually bestow His peace and love breaking through their spirit. In the first case the Christian is trying his or her best but a besetting sin/sins keep rising to the surface. This person may not even realize or understand the transgression. That prayer should be more geared that said Christian be placed under the mercy of God.

The second type of believer in Jesus Christ needs to come to conscious repentance before God. By the way we can also confront this type of Christian in the spirit of love. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit reveals to them their willful sin and come to earnest confession to God through Jesus Christ. They are in serious trouble and nothing short of true repentance is going to deliver them out of possible contamination in their heart so our intercession needs to be, "God please show him that he is in direct willful disobedience to you and needs to repent and forsake his sin." 

Remember this verse is only talking about our prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ dealing with sin in their lives. It is not our job according to this verse to say, "He crossed the line" or "That person will spend eternity in this place." We do not know the answer to these questions. Ignorance is one thing, being willful is something entirely different so we need to believe in the power of prayer for Christians but before this we have to know how to intercede for that individual.

I am going to give you two stories that are true. In one case a Christian lady tried praying for her step Dad but God spoke to her verbally and said, "Do not pray for him because he committed the unpardonable sin of unbelief." There was another case when this man tricked a Christian lady into signing a contract for videotaping porn movies for one year. A Christian lady tried to pray for him and heard an audible voice from God saying, "Don't pray for him." 

I do not know how to say this except to try and portray to you that people cross the line with God everyday in this world where there are approximately seven billion persons on this earth. Only the Triune Godhead understands where that line is drawn but this should speak a very loud message to us in that open rebellion against God will not go unpunished.

As Christians we should be trying to get or stay right with Jesus Christ every day of our lives. We will have some easy days but we will also have some very difficult times when God may seem light years away from us as believers in Jesus Christ. Praying for Christians and unbelievers is our duty and we should engage in this with knowledge and wisdom based on the guidelines of the Bible.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord now would probably be a good time to repent of all your sins and invite Jesus Christ in your life. It is sad when a person has open rebellion against God. It is also sad when a person is just indifferent toward God with a couple of vague opinions and just live their life apart from Jesus Christ. If you just made that decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart do not fall into rebellion or indifference because God desires us obedient to Him.

God Bless you,

Bob D.