“Culled from the Introduction of The Foundations of Confidence in Prayer by Rev. Olusola Ayodele Areogun.”

#ReverendAreogun

One of the greatest tragedies in the prayer life of believers today is the quiet assumption that prayer will work merely because you said words.
No, prayer does not work simply because it was prayed.
Prayer works because it is backed by confidence—and confidence must be rooted in divine truth, not emotions.

John, in his epistles, repeatedly wrote:
“We know…”
It was not guesswork.
It was not spiritual trial-and-error.
It was knowledge—solid, unshakeable, revealed knowledge.

Christianity does not run on assumptions; it runs on certainty.

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THE ATTACK ON YOUR HEART

1 John 3:19–21 reveals something many believers never pay attention to:

“…and shall assure our hearts before Him.”

This means your heart is the battlefield of prayer.

When you step out of an anointed environment into the corrupt, demonic, polluted atmosphere of the world, your faith needs assurance—continual reassurance.

Satan’s first point of attack is not your finances, not your health, not your relationships—it is your confidence toward God.

If your confidence collapses, your prayer life collapses.

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THE REAL REASON MANY BELIEVERS TRUST OTHERS’ PRAYERS ABOVE THEIR OWN

Many Christians can believe that God hears:

• their pastor,

• a prophet,

• a prayer warrior,

• or a spiritual mentor…

…but they secretly doubt that God hears them.

This is a sign that:

• their heart is condemning them,

• their confidence is broken,

• and their relationship with God is not personalized.

As long as you trust another believer’s prayer more than your own, your spiritual life is weak and unsteady.

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BEGGARLY PRAYERS — A SIGN OF BROKEN CONFIDENCE

The man who says:

“Lord, I don’t want to disturb You…”

is already praying as a slave, not a son.

Confidence is not rudeness.
Confidence is the boldness of a child approaching a Father.

God does not reward:

• emotional praying,

• flowery grammar,

• long repetitions,

• loud shouting,

• intense sweating,

• or religious posture.

What He hears is His Word, not your performance.

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THE GREATEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE AFTER PRAYING

Many believers pray correctly, but after leaving the place of prayer, they slip into:

• doubt,

• fear,

• mental reasoning,

• exposure to negative environments

• listening to contradictory voices

…and their confidence begins to leak.

What then happens?

They cancel their own prayer results with their own thoughts.

This is why John wrote:

“…assure our hearts before Him.”

Your greatest work is not saying the prayer—
Your greatest work is guarding your heart after the prayer.

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THE CONFIDENCE THAT GETS ANSWERS

1 John 5:14–15 gives the standard:

“This is the confidence… that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.”

This means:

• God does not hear prayer merely because you are in need

• He hears prayer because you prayed according to His will

• And His will is found in His Word

You must build confidence in what God has said, not what you feel.

If you can find the Scripture for your situation, and present it in prayer, your answer is guaranteed.

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YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: ASSURE YOUR HEART

Confidence must be reaffirmed.

When the devil whispers, “It is taking too long,”
you answer:
“God is faithful.”

When the world says, “It has never happened before,”
you answer:
“Let God be true.”

When your body feels contrary to your prayer,
you remind your heart:
“His Word is surer than my feelings.”

Faith is built by assuring your heart daily with the truth of Scripture.

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CONCLUSION: BUILD YOUR PRAYER LIFE ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION

From the introduction of this book, understand this clearly:

🔹 Don’t build your confidence on the atmosphere of prayer.
🔹 Don’t build your confidence on how emotional you felt.
🔹 Don’t build your confidence on long hours of fasting.
🔹 Build your confidence on what God has said.

Once you build confidence on His Word,
your prayer life becomes stable, fruitful, and effective.

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CLOSING PRAYER

Father, strengthen my heart with revelation truth.
Deliver me from assumptions in the place of prayer.
Let my confidence be rooted in Your Word and Your will.
Teach me to assure my heart daily, and to walk with the certainty that You hear me.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Excerpted from Chapter 3 of The Foundations of Confidence in Prayer by Rev. Olusola Ayodele Areogun.”