Topical Bible: Eternal Life: Given in Answer to Prayer

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Eternal life, a central tenet of Christian theology, is the gift of unending life with God, promised to believers through faith in Jesus Christ. This divine gift is not only a future hope but also a present reality that begins in the believer's life through a relationship with Christ. The concept of eternal life is intricately linked to prayer, as Scripture reveals that it can be granted in response to earnest petitions to God.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible presents eternal life as both a promise and a present possession for those who believe in Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares, "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). This passage underscores the immediacy of eternal life for the believer, emphasizing that it is a present reality for those who have faith in Christ.

Prayer and Eternal Life

Prayer is a vital means through which believers can seek and receive eternal life. The act of prayer signifies a humble acknowledgment of one's need for God's grace and a sincere desire to enter into a relationship with Him. In the context of prayer, eternal life is not merely a distant hope but a gift that God is willing to bestow upon those who earnestly seek it.

The Apostle John, in his first epistle, provides assurance that God hears and answers the prayers of His people: "And this is the confidence that we have before Him: 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 already possess what we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). This passage highlights the importance of aligning one's prayers with God's will, which includes the desire for eternal life through faith in Christ.

Examples of Prayer for Eternal Life

The New Testament offers examples of individuals who sought eternal life through prayer. One notable instance is the account of the thief on the cross, who, in his final moments, turned to Jesus and prayed, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Jesus' response, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43), illustrates the immediacy and certainty of eternal life granted in response to a sincere prayer of faith.

Another example is found in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The tax collector, standing at a distance, prayed, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). Jesus commended the tax collector's humility and repentance, indicating that such a prayer aligns with God's will and leads to justification and, ultimately, eternal life.

The Role of Faith in Prayer

While prayer is a means through which eternal life is sought, it is inseparable from faith in Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John emphasizes the necessity of belief in Christ for eternal life: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Faith is the foundation upon which prayers for eternal life are built, as it is through faith that believers receive the promise of life everlasting.

In summary, eternal life is a divine gift that can be granted in answer to prayer. The Bible encourages believers to approach God with confidence, seeking His will and trusting in His promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 21:4
He asked life of you, and you gave it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God Has Everything to do with Prayer
... in prayer by promise because He had given us all ... knees to God in order that that
eternal purpose might be ... ever; yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iv god has everything to.htm

The Essence of Prayer.
... Before we answer this question, it is necessary accurately to define ... over all flesh,
that I should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Me"; (3 ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxix the essence of prayer.htm

The Inwardness of Prayer
... carries, like the humble mother of a great genius, an eternal meaning in ... It is not
of a piece with life. ... all the rest of our time and interest is given only to ...
/.../forsyth/the soul of prayer/chapter i the inwardness of.htm

Prayer Takes in the Whole Man
... The answer of Jesus to the scribe as to what was ... Just as it requires a whole heart
given to God to ... His honour, his immortality, and eternal life are all in it. ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/i prayer takes in the.htm

Introduction
... channel through which God can fulfil his eternal purpose. ... to pray the effectual prayer
of faith depended upon the life. It is only to a man given up to live as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the ministry of intercession/introduction.htm

The Second Series of Parables - the Two Parables of Him who is ...
... was a way in which a man might inherit eternal life, not indeed ... The answer to it
is only too clear. ... And better definition could not be given, not, indeed, of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv the second series.htm

Prayer in the Unconverted.
... we answer: Prayer is the drawing and pressing of the ... Blasphemers and men given to
profanity indulge in their ... which by and by the seed of eternal life will be ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xli prayer in the unconverted.htm

On the Lord's Prayer in St. Matthew's Gospel, Chap. vi. 9, Etc. To ...
... and there will be the effectual [1974] answer of Him ... may be seen and handled, is
given both to ... in the Churches: our hire after labour is called eternal life. ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon vi on the lords.htm

Sixteenth Day. Holiness and Truth.
... Him, were all in the power of the eternal Life and Love ... We thank Thee that Thy Son
hath given us the words ... let the Spirit make them truth and life within us. ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/sixteenth day holiness and truth.htm

The Last Discourses of Christ - the Prayer of Consecration.
... also must primarily refer the promise of unlimited answer to prayer ... the all, pn)
that Thou hast given Him, He should give to them eternal life.' The climax ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi the last discourses.htm