“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15
For many years, I struggled with the difference between confidence and arrogance. I would hear some statements and would think, “my, that person has great confidence,” but at other times, I would hear something similar and think, “My, that person is arrogant.” Even in my own words I found this dilemma, because confidence and arrogance sound so much alike. I wanted to have great confidence in my faith and ministry, but I have a real distaste for arrogance within the body of Christ.
The issue was even more profound when discussing prayer. We are invited to come “boldly before the throne of grace” and if God is who he claims to be, we should have great boldness in our prayers. Here again, however, there is a fine line between bold prayers and foolish, arrogant prayers.
Once, when praying for a dear friend who was battling cancer, I was approached by several people who suggested that I tone down my prayers because the bold prayers, expecting God’s healing grace, I was praying could be giving the family false hope. While I am confident that God would desire that we pray believing for great things, I have heard many prayers that make outlandish claims that seem to come more from the person praying than from the Spirit of God. I have no desire to offer false hope, but I do not want to pray prayers that have little or no impact.
The difference I have come to make between confidence and arrogance in prayers, or in any aspect of life, is a matter of source and focus. Confidence rests upon God and God’s power, calling, and gifts. I can be confident when I am leaning on God because that is where the real power and authority rests. When I am declaring the word of God, acting according to divine direction, or praying in the Spirit of Christ, I can be bold based upon my confidence in God. However, when the focus of attention is on me, my boldness is much more likely an expression of arrogance. When I think my thoughts, background, title, or position is what gives me authority to speak or act as I do, then I am potentially thinking too highly of myself.
When I pray with arrogant boldness, I have no reason to expect that God will answer my prayers as I’ve prayed them, for they are merely attempts to be on display or to strong-arm God into doing things my way. However, when I am led by God’s word and promises, I have every reason to have boldness that comes, not from confidence in myself, but from confidence in God. This is why John could encourage us to have confidence when we pray that God hears us, and if he hears us, that the answer is already on its way. Such confidence is not based upon our strength, or how articulate our prayers are. Instead, we have great assurance because God faithfully fulfills his word.
We must stand between bold prayers formed out of over-confidence in ourselves and anemic prayers offered out of the fear they may not be answered. It may be hard to find at times, but there is good ground to stand on here. If we will humble ourselves and trust God, we will see the power of God released in our prayers, and with each answered prayer, our confidence will grow. May we have the confidence in God that our prayers are heard and that we already have that which we have asked for as we put our trust in God.
