If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. - John 15:7 (KJV)
Many of us have been wondering how come our prayers are not answered while the prayer of others are. We have walked the mile and stumbled in most of our steps while others do not. How come other people’s lives are so blessed and mine is not.
If we look back and try to reflect on our daily walk, we see the difference as to why other people’s prayer are full of aroma that it pleases the Father thereby granting their prayers. And we see in ourselves that what is lacking is the abiding Word. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “ ...without faith it is impossible to please God...”. The word is very important. It is a defining factor that separates us believers from non believers. Can we pray for faith then? we may ask. The answer is a BIG no. Faith cannot be asked from God but “faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Faith therefore cannot be taken out of anything but by hearing and not seeing the word of God. Having set that a prayer is answered when we have faith and we have faith by hearing the word of God, how do we start? John 15:7 teaches us that we can ask whatever we wish and it will be given us if we abide in the word and that the word abide in us. Can we ask then for whatever we want even things that doesn’t glorify God? We will answer this question as we try to understand each phrase in verse 7.
If ye abide in me
The Bible is clear when Jesus said in verse 7 of John 15 that whatever we ask, it will be given to us but we have to understand that there is a premise, a condition, that we abide in Him, and that the word abides in us. It is a stage by stage process of which there is no acceleration. Everything can be unto us only if we first abide in the word and the word abides in us. How do we abide then?
1. Meditate on it day and night - Joshua 1:8
Even in our busy schedule, we should take the opportunity to study and meditate on the word of God during our free time rather than using it for some worthless conversation which do not edify our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Keep in our hearts - 1 John 2:24
Some would ask why keep in our hearts and not in our mind when Jeremiah 17:9 says “the heart is deceitful above all things”? It is clear to us that the Bible never contradicts the truth that it says. You see, when we know the word only in mind, there is a tendency that we logically find some reasons or flaws which leads us to question the very identity of God and eventually lose our faith. We become Pharisees and Sadducees: self-righteous, knowledgeable of the Law yet fail to live it. However, if we keep it in our hearts, it is more alive. It speaks to us. How is it possible? We refer to the second phrase.
And my words abide in you
The word of God is alive before and even today. It speaks to us. When we keep his words in our heart and it becomes abundant; our actions, lifestyles, desires and even the words we speak are changed. When we asked previously why keep it in our hearts knowing that it is deceitful, I believe that our heart’s desires are changed in accordance to what God desires for us. Thus, our whole being is directed by God. When the word is abiding in us, we live in Christ likeness. We forget our earthly body including its earthly desires. We are sanctified and everything in us desires only to please and glorify our Father. The word causes us to speak in faith. It is our power to overcome all the taunting of the enemy (Ecclesiastes 8:4), it is the truth that sets us free from bondage (Psalms 33:4), it is our righteousness the teaches us what is right and wrong (Romans 10:4-5), it is our Lamp and Light that guides us each day (Proverbs 6:23), it is our hope for things to come (Psalms 130:5) and most of all, it is our life (John 6:63).
Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
By the power of the word that is abiding in us, we may approach the throne of God and ask whatever we may wish “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we let it made known to God” (Philippians 4:6) This is all to bless us and for the glory of God.
We will see that our lives will be transformed. Blessed, in peace and contented in Christ. We get to answer why our prayers before are not answered as compared to when we have the word that is abiding in us. Therefore, when we abide in Christ and his words abides in us, whatever we asks are in accordance to His desires which eventually He would grant us.
May God grant us the desires of our hearts according to His riches in Christ Jesus!
