4 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

1 Chronicles 6:31-81
John 16:16-33

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 16:24 (CSB): “Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

“God isn’t interested in your happiness; He’s interested in your holiness.”

I’ve heard preachers say that before, and I’ve even said it a few times. But it’s not true. It’s certainly not biblical.

If God isn’t interested in our joy/happiness (those two words are essentially interchangeable in Scripture), then why is joy part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? And why would Jesus promise joy/happiness if we ask for things in prayer in His name and receive what we ask for?

Jesus is interested in our holiness AND our happiness. (If you really want to investigate the biblical theme of happiness, read Randy Alcorn’s book, “Happiness.”)

So, what is the promise and the results that Jesus mentioned in the verse I have chosen for today?

John 16:24 (CSB): “Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”

The promise is that if we ask for anything in Jesus’ Name, we will receive it.

This simply means that we must ask for things in prayer and essentially tell the Father, “Jesus wants me to ask for this.”

In other words, if you want to get your prayers answered, ask for things Jesus wants you to ask for. How do you know what those things are? Read your Bible and “listen” to the Holy Spirit. Read your Bible to observe what Jesus asked for in prayer. Read your Bible to see what things people asked for that God gave to them. Dig into those instances and see if those answers to prayer were a “one time” answer or if God seems willing to answer that sort of prayer every time it is prayed. Then, “listen” to God’s Holy Spirit to see if He is leading you to pray for a certain thing or actually causing you to sense that it is not what you should pray for.

The result of claiming Jesus’ promise is that we get what we ask for and our “joy may be complete.”

Why is full-hearted joy the result? Well, when I get what I have asked for in prayer, I’m reasonably grateful when God provides what I asked for. But the real joy is in knowing that the God who is infinitely above and beyond anything I could ever possibly imagine has listened to my feeble prayer and compassionately answered it. It seems to me that the joy is in the relationship. The joy is that my “religion” is not merely religion but also a wonderful relationship with the God of all Creation.

So, my friend, do you want to be happy? Then cultivate a healthy, biblical prayer life. Study your Bible to learn what principles must be complied with in order to get your prayers answered. And then put those biblical principles into practice. When God hears and answers, rejoice and document it. But don’t stop praying. Pray again, asking for what you believe the Lord would have you ask for.

And when you get yet another prayer answered and it puts a smile on your face and a song in your heart, realize that you are responding exactly as Jesus said you would in John 16:24.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you learn the biblical principles that will enable you to get your prayers answered.
  • Ask God to help you apply those principles and have a prayer life that is characterized by many answers to those requests.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into John 16:24, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does ‘that your joy may be full’ mean in John 16:24?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)