J.A. Matteson
Endless are the prayers and petitions saints might pose to the Father during their lifetime. The superlative petition is that they may be fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 Jn. 5:14). All other spiritual concerns are enveloped within our sanctification, being made Christlike in intent, thought, and action; this is God's explicit will for His children (1 Thess. 4:3). Upon making this petition every providence is understood as the LORD's means to further our request according to His will. What joy and sense of anticipation is the daily experience of saints so walking in the Spirit. Jesus Christ was so in tune with His Father that all that He thought and did was in perfect harmony with the will of His Father. Never did He speak a word or perform for an action contrary to the will of His Father. In the sanctification process the LORD will increasingly transform your motives, thoughts, and actions to reflect His will. And to the extend He conforms you to the image of His Son, instinctively you will increasingly be making prayers and petitions that are Christo-centric rather than ego-centric. And God is faithful along this line to finish in you that which He has begun (Phil. 1:6).
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