There are many differences between Old and New Covenant prayer, none of which can be understood unless we start by recognizing the difference in the covenants. The Old Covenant was made between God and Israel and the New Covenant is between God and Jesus. One had to become a Jew to participate in the Old Covenant, but we become a part of Jesus to participate in the New.
Since the Old Covenant was made between God and men it was up to the people to keep it in force by their compliance. The New Covenant is kept in force by the Lord Jesus and because He maintained His part of the covenant until death, it can’t be changed or altered.
In Old Covenant prayer man was seeking to determine what God would do for them in the future. In New Covenant prayer we trust what God has already done in Jesus. The word “ask” in the New Testament as it relates to prayer is “to ask with the knowledge and expectation of the response.” We know God’s will for us; it’s all the provisions of the covenant with Jesus. All the promises are “yes” for we who are in Christ; all the curses are “no” and we are qualified because we are in Jesus.
When we believe what we have in Christ most of our prayer life consists of acknowledging God’s truth and moving into thanksgiving and praise for what He has done, through which we establish our heart that the inheritance given to Jesus is equally ours as joint heirs. Join me in CyberChurch this week and discover the power in Knowing God as Father as you move to that place of absolute confidence in prayer.
