6 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
John 14:13-14 (CSB): “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
The verses I’ve chosen for today sound like a blank check, don’t they? It seems as if Jesus told us we can ask for whatever we want, and He will give it to us.
Anyone who has spent any time in prayer realizes, if they are honest with themselves, that many of the things they ask for never materialize. They either stop praying or justify their impotent prayer life by saying something like: “God always answers prayer. Sometimes He says ‘yes,’ sometimes ‘no,’ and sometimes ‘wait a while.’ He’s just got me waiting for the time being.” But if they were to search their prayer journal, very few, if any, specific prayer requests have ever been answered.
So what are we to make of Jesus’ very clear promises? Do we write them off as untrue? I certainly hope not! If you join me in believing that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God without error in its original writings, you cannot hold that view.
Some may think that the promises are true … but they are just not true for them. “The promises of answered prayer work for other people, just not for me.” But we cannot agree with this either. God has clear prayer principles in Scripture and anyone who complies with them will have a fruitful prayer life.
So, what are we to think of Jesus’ promises?
John 14:13-14 (CSB): “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
For starters, let’s just be real honest. We like to camp out on the phrase “whatever you ask.” We could certainly think of many things to ask for.
But Jesus’ words didn’t stop there. He continued. “Whatever you ask in my name.” (emphasis mine)
Imagine that your church had an account at a few stores, like many churches do. It makes it super convenient for the staff to make ministry purchases. For example, the person who is responsible for cleaning the church facilities can go down to get a few cleaning items and put them on the church account that gets paid each month.
I suspect that most people behind the register look over the items and, privately, in the recesses of their mind, realize that each item is certainly something a church would purchase. But imagine that someone from your church approached the register with a dirty magazine and wanted to put it on the church account. The person behind the register would realize quite quickly that no church would ever approve of such a purchase. Anyone with half a brain would know that you’re a dirty idiot if you say, “I want to purchase this dirty magazine in the name of __________ Church.”
While that is an extreme example, it gets the point across. Our requests have to line up with the person or organization we claim has approved of our request.
If we ask for things in prayer “in Jesus’ Name,” that means we are essentially saying that Jesus would approve of us asking for that thing. But there are quite a few things we ask for in prayer that God knows Jesus would never ask for. So, when we offer up a prayer, essentially saying that Jesus would want us to ask for the thing, and God knows He wouldn’t, we are taking Jesus’ Name in vain. We are using it for our own purposes and in a way that robs Him of the glory He is due.
So, what are the sort of things that Jesus would ask for?
For starters, just read the prayers of Jesus in the Gospels. Read the prayers of God’s people in the Old and New Testaments, particularly the prayers that were answered. Generally speaking, those are the sorts of things that Jesus would ask for.
Second, Jesus would ask for things that would glorify Him and the Father. We aren’t always so careful. Truth be told, many of our requests focus on ourselves and our well-being. However, we are commanded to seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). When we ask for things that enable us to accomplish His purposes and demonstrate His goodness, we are asking for things that Jesus might ask for.
Finally, we need to rely upon God’s Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we may ask for the right thing … but it’s the wrong time to ask for it. We need to rely upon God’s Holy Spirit within us to direct our prayers so that we ask for what would bring God glory, and we do so at the time He would have us to ask for it.
So, claim the promise of answered prayer in John 14:13-14. But be sure to rightly understand it so that you can precisely apply it. Only then will you have the opportunity to experience a prayer life where you periodically (or frequently) see that God is answering your prayers.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you gather and rightly understand the biblical principles of answered prayer.
- Ask God to help you renew your vigor to spend time in prayer, expecting that He will answer as you apply His prayer principles.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into the promise of John 14:13-14, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What did Jesus mean when He said He would give us ‘whatever you ask in my name’?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 