Our faith will be most firmly established when by it we are seeking God’s glory.
God showed something all-important about himself as the time drew near for Jesus to go to the cross. Jesus was teaching his disciples about his approaching death and said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” (John 12:27–28)
Notice the desire of Jesus. Naturally he was troubled at the thought of what he was about to suffer, but he was not shaken. His purpose was firm, and that purpose was to glorify his Father by doing his will.
Then, in response to the prayer of Jesus, God says something about himself that is one of the most important truths that anyone who wants to know God and have mountain-moving faith in him must understand:
“Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified [my name], and I will glorify it again.’” (John 12:28)
God’s glory
God is up to something in the world. He is glorifying his own name. That is, he is displaying who he is—all his dazzling and awesome virtues, attributes, goodness, and ways—and calling us to worship him. This was his purpose from the beginning. It is why he created the universe and why he created mankind.
Why did God save Israel from Egypt even though they did not believe him and repeatedly disobeyed? “He saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power” (Psalm 106:8).
In the time of the kings of Israel when the nation persisted stubbornly in idolatry and broke their covenant with God, why did he patiently wait before pouring out his full anger? He tells us: “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 48:11)
Aligned with God’s purpose
So God seeks to display his glory always, and this is a crucial truth for those who pray to him and set their hearts to believe his promises. The upshot is, if I am not seeking what God is seeking, I am not aligned with him. If I am totally concerned with my desire rather than his, God might choose to display his mercy by answering my prayer, but he might not.
Surely the majority of the sick, demonized, and hurting people who came to Jesus for help did not have God’s glory uppermost in mind; still, Jesus healed them all and thereby displayed his glory as the Savior. God is a loving, merciful Savior, and all who came to Jesus in faith found that to be true.
There’s more
But God does not stop there. He goes on to teach his purposes and will to those who draw near to him through Jesus. He teaches them to pray and have faith in accordance with his purposes and will. Jesus told his disciples, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Getting prayers answered depends on abiding in Jesus and his words, that is, pursuing his purposes and will.
Similarly, 1 John 5:14–15 says, “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.”
So confidence—faith—increases as we pray in accord with God’s will and purpose.
Praying with God’s glory in mind
The psalmist prayed with God’s glory in mind:
“For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great” (Psalm 25:11).
“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!” (Psalm 79:9)
“For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!” (Psalm 143:11)
“But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!” (Psalm 109:21)
A dual purpose
Notice in that last verse how the psalmist could ask God to act both on the psalmist’s behalf and for the sake of God’s name. It does not have to be one or the other. God does not see our desires as mutually exclusive with his glory. No, our desires can be the arena for him to display his glory.
That is the logic behind Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” To delight in God is to delight in his glory. When we do that, he gives the desire of our hearts, for we have navigated our ship into the ocean current and trade winds of his purpose and will.
When we do that, Jesus promises to answer prayers. He said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) So the purpose and desire of Jesus is to glorify his father, and he answers prayers for that reason. When we have the same purpose, our faith can have all the weight of heaven behind it.
Moreover, our faith can be firmly established on God’s command. First Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Takeaway
Faith is established only when it is built on the rock of God’s will and purposes. The bedrock of God’s purposes is the display of his glory. Therefore when we pray and believe God’s promise, our faith will be most firmly established when by it we are seeking God’s glory. Faith that is properly motivated is immovable.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)