WHATEVER we ask?! 5/2/2014

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

These two verses make prayer seem like a pretty straightforward proposition.  We ask in God's will, He hears.  He hears, He grants.  Simple.

"Dear God.  Please heal grandma from cancer."  If it is God's will, He hears.  He hears, He grants.
"Dear God.  Please let me get that job."  If it is God's will, He hears.  He hears, He grants.
"Dear God.  Please provide meals for the homeless."  If it is God's will, He hears.  He hears, He grants.
"Dear God. . ."

But if prayer were this simple, then why would Christ pray until his "sweat became like drops of blood"?  Luke 22:44 (ESV)
Why would we need "effectual fervent" prayer? James 5:16 (KJV)

Ask, receive.  God's will means fulfilled requests.  On one hand, prayer seems so straight forward.  On the other hand, it appears that better prayer equals better results.  For something so important in our relationship to God, others, and indeed, our whole life, there seems to be a lack of uniformity or clarity.

The model prayer, Christ's blueprint for heavenly conversation, is even open to interpretation.
"Lead us not into temptation."  Does that imply that if we do not pray that prayer, that God Himself, might put temptation into our paths?  If we do pray that prayer, will we be temptation free?  "Forgive us our trespasses. . ."  Are we not forgiven all our sins, past, present, and future, when we come to God for salvation?

Is prayer ultimately about changing our individual hearts, minds, and actions to conform to God's likeness?  If all things work out according to God's will, can we expect our prayers to change God's will?  Perhaps prayer is about changing the individual, not the circumstances.