“Jesus lif ted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’” (John 11:41–42)

Here we see on the one hand the perfect dependence of Jesus, but on the other hand also His perfect oneness with the Father. Everything that He did, He did without exception in dependence on His Father and in fellowship with Him. His miracles and signs were the works of the Father, which the Father did through Him (see John 14:10).

In this passage we have the second prayer of Jesus, in which we are told the words He addressed to the Father. While in Luke 10:21 (NKJV) He began His prayer with the words, “I praise you, Father,” here He first said, “Father, I thank you.” Obviously, Jesus’ prayer life was primarily characterized by praise and thanksgiving!

If we take a closer look at the contents of Paul’s prayers, we’ll see that for the most part, they consisted of thanksgiving! Therefore, he was able to urge both the Colossians and the Philippians with moral authority not to forget to give thanks when praying (see Col. 4:2; Phil. 4:6). There is much truth in the well-known saying, “Thanksgiving protects from faltering and praise draws us upwards”— but we’ll only experience it if we actually practice it!

Here the Lord Jesus thanked for the answer before the answer became apparent. Since He did at all times what was pleasing to God, He had complete assurance that the Father was with Him (see John 8:29). Evidently, He had prayed for the raising of Lazarus at an earlier time—perhaps during the two days He waited before responding to Mary and Martha’s cry for help. His prayer showed no vague hope, but rather the firm conviction that He would receive something. To Him, the answer was so certain that He considered it to have already happened. In this, the Lord Jesus again implemented something that He Himself had taught His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask inprayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

In the history of the Church also there have always been believers who, already on their knees in faith, have gained the conviction that God has heard their prayer. It is a great thing when you can already give thanks for the answer, even though it has not yet become visible. The following story from the life of Hudson Taylor illustrates this in an impressive way:

“When the missionary Hudson Taylor was on his first voyage to China, the ship was often hampered in its journey bothby a lack of wind and adverse winds. Once, the ship passed an island that was said to be inhabited by cannibals. Just then the wind died down again and the ship slowly drifted toward the fateful coast on the mirror-smooth surface. Horror gripped the travelers on board at the thoughtof the dreadful welcome that awaited them. In his distress the captain came to the missionary and said, ‘You believe that your God answers prayers. Call him! If your prayers don’t work, we’re lost.’

‘I will pray,’ Hudson Taylor replied, ‘but only on the condition that you have all sails set to catch the wind that God will send.

The unbelieving captain was afraid of making a fool of himself and didn’t want to unfurl the sails in this complete calm. The missionary, however, declared that he wouldn’t begin to pray until the captain had demonstrated by his actions, that the boat was ready for when Taylor’s prayer was answered. Closer and closer they drifted toward the coast. At last the captain fulfilled the passenger’s wish, although not a breeze had yet blown. Hudson Taylor retired to his cabinand laid the collective distress before the Lord. While he was still praying, there was a loud knock at his door. The captain stood outside and shouted, ‘Are you still praying for wind? You can stop. We have more than we need.’ And so it was. At the moment of greatest danger, when the ship was already very close to land, the wind had risen which drove the vessel back out to sea.”

John writes, “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.” (1John 5:14–15). What a blessing it is and how strengthening for our faith to be allowed to have such experiences!

Perhaps you’re asking yourself how you can come to have the requests on your heart that God will surely answer. David gives us the answer, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps. 37:3–4). If you trust Him, live in devotion to Him, and make Him the center of your thinking, the Holy Spirit will form in your heart the requests that come from God. The New Testament says, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 John 3:21–22).

What does it mean to you practically to ‘delight yourself in the Lord’? Do you pray expectantly and with a clear conscience? Praise and glorify the Lord when you pray, and don’t forget to give thanks!