The Pastor’s Piece, Pastor Steve Cernek, FCFI Chaplain

FCFI

August 11, 2025

As a pastor, it is quite satisfying for me to answer questions that people have concerning their spiritual maturity and well-being, especially when it comes from something I’ve written or spoken concerning the Word of God. Lately, I’ve been preaching a series of sermons titled “Blessed Assurance – How You Can Know If You Are Truly Saved.” Last week, a regular attender came to me with some questions about those sermons, which I was happy to answer.

The first question was: “In regards to prayer, should we be asking the same prayer everyday? When I pray I thank God for all His blessings to me. I thank Him for His Son and give Him praises, and then I pray for everyone I know that has illness and other family issues. I pray for our country and the leaders. These are daily prayers. Am I wrong to keep praying the same things over and over?”

She also said: “Another question is that I have asked God into my life and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but how do I know that He has heard my prayer? Other people have said that God has talked to them. I can honestly say I don’t know if God has ever spoken to me. My conscience has made me think of things. Is this God? I love God and want to live my life for Him. I am also a sinful person and I have asked for forgiveness of my sins and for help to resist Satan and overcome my sins.”

Those are good questions. First of all, it’s a good habit and tradition to pray continuously all the time. The Bible says the fervent prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective, (James 5:17), which means that we keep coming back and asking. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 in order to illustrate the value of praying continually and not giving up. In that parable, a widow refused to stop asking even when it seemed like her prayers were ineffective. God wants us to keep praying without losing heart. He hears His people when they pray even if they don’t realize it. Repeating prayers to God is more than just asking Him for things all the time – it’s about staying connected to God and realizing how dependent we are on Him, and it helps us to trust Him and to surrender ourselves to His will.

Secondly, even if your situation doesn’t noticeably change, prayer brings comfort and relief. We have a friend in Jesus. There are many benefits to taking your request to God every day, even if they’re the same requests. Paul says to bring your prayers and petitions before God because He wants to hear them. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people … This is good, and pleases God our Savior,” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). First Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. God wants us to pray all the time about everything, and according to these Biblical accounts, the prayers of His people are pleasing to Him.

Now, about being sure of your salvation. First of all, salvation is based on faith. Romans 10:9 says: “If you confess with your month Jesus is Lord,  and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s by grace and not by something you earn. The Bible says you are saved when you place your faith in Jesus. It does not depend on how you feel about it. Salvation is a gift. If you’ve genuinely placed your faith in Christ, you are saved. God knows your heart and He knows when you are trusting Him for salvation. You can stand on God’s promises. Ask yourself: Am I truly trusting Jesus? Do I see evidence of spiritual growth in my life?

As far as hearing God speak to you, a lot of people talk about God telling them to do this or that or they say: “God told me.” But the way that God speaks to me is through my mind and my thoughts. The Holy Spirit puts things on my mind and gives me confidence or an idea when I’m praying or meditating on His Word. That is God speaking directly. I don’t hear words, but I have impressions on my heart and the Bible speaks clearly on the subjects of life so we know from the written word and we don’t need an audible. He also speaks through other people who affirm what I am praying about.

I often marvel at the faith of Godly saints as they face their imminent departure from this earth. I could tell a few stories – (and I have) – where someone will have an encounter with an angel or two right before they are taken home. The day before my dad was promoted to heaven, Dad asked my mom who that guy was in the living room and why was he wearing pink? There wasn’t anybody in the living room that we could see, let alone someone wearing pink. We figured God must have sent an angel to minister to him. Another time, I sat with an elderly friend as he was dying and anticipating his home-going. All day long he kept singing: “Blow your trumpet Gabriel, blow your trumpet louder.” And he said repeatedly: “Let’s get this show on the road – come on Gabriel, send your chariot. I’m ready! Let’s go!” 

There is a confidence, an anticipation, an excitement that the saints of God sense as they are about to go home to heaven. That’s because they’ve spent years cultivating Biblical virtues through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s how you get stronger and stronger as you go through life. That’s how you grow more and more confident in the Scriptures. And that’s how 1 John 5:13 comes to pass in one’s life: “I write these things to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).