Within Christendom there is a wide variety of teaching on prayer. Anyone who has studied this subject from the pages of the New Testament will not be surprised by this. As we progress through the Scriptures we find different teaching on prayer, and we find different promises associated with prayer. Indeed, at times we find no promises associated with prayer!
In the Gospels, and in the letters written to the Jewish Christians of the Acts period (Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude, and Revelation), we find a definiteness associated with prayer. We find promises and we find the word “will” associated with prayer. If we base our prayer expectations upon such passages as these, not only may we be disappointed, we can become judgmental – of ourselves and of others. We begin to think that our prayers are not answered because we don’t seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33), or because the people praying are not right with God (James 5:16). We may be wiser basing our prayer expectations on those parts of Scripture written for Gentiles living in this age of grace.
