7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Here our Lord sets forth a wonderful Promise which is one of Scriptures many “if” - “then” statements: The more constant a believer abides in Christ – the more constant their communion with Him – the more constant His Word abides within them – the more effectual will be their prayers. It is a blessed privilege indeed! This brings God the Giver much glory. Remember, He Who gives the power gets the glory and when God is most glorified the believer is most satisfied – it works, go figure! James, the half brother of our Lord Jesus puts it in a nutshell for us:
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)
“Prayer is not an indifferent or a small thing. It is not a sweet little privilege. It is a great prerogative, far-reaching in its effects.” E.M. Bounds
To abide in Jesus is to develop the habit of having constant communion with Him – leaning on Him, resting in Him, pouring our hearts out to Him, thanking Him, knowing Him through His Word. He is to be our sufficiency and strength, our constant Chief Companion and best Friend. He loves us and if the prayers of a believer receive from Him a “No” it is always for a far greater “Yes”. We can trust Him.
His Words and precepts are to be ever before our memories and minds. This must be intentional for the believer. One does not just become righteous. One does not just become holy. The psalmist writes:
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalms 119:9-11 (NIV)
To know God’s Word is to know His heart. To pray His heart is the essence of effectual prayer. Believers can know for certain that God cares immensely for the souls of men, the exaltation of His Word and the glory of His great Name. Our Lord always has eternal purposes in mind in everything allowed in the life of His child. The believer who has a firm grasp of the Word of God affords him the awesome opportunity and responsibility - I might add - to pray the very will of God. God is always faithful to His Word. Most Christians simply pray in vain as they ignorantly ask amiss. Sometimes we find ourselves simply needing our “wanter’s” fixed. What we always want – whether we realize it or not – is to be in the center of God’s will, mature and fully assured. This is abundance, this is peace and joy. James also tells us:
2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3 (NIV)
Make no mistake about it; God is not a giant Santa Claus in the sky distributing blessings and gifts at our every whim as some modern day theologies espouse. This would certainly be for our ruin. God is God and we are, quite simply, not. He is the One who knows the end from the beginning, He is the one who knows how we are made and He is the One who knows exactly what we need to increase our faith and to conform us to the image of His dear Son. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift – gifts used to prosper and not harm, gifts that give us hope and a future. Again James tells us:
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:16-17 (NIV)
Yet His gifts must be are seen from an eternal – not worldly – perspective, through eyes that are set on things above. All is grace because of Jesus alone and all that is allowed in the life of those who love Him is promised to work for their good – whether we can understand it or not. Of this we can be certain, believers are given the grace to meet each need allowed. Jesus carries us in His hands through every “No”. To be sure, He walks in the fire with us just as He did with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He takes us from “strength to strength” as we walk through our valleys.
“When my world is shaking, Heaven stands. When my heart is breaking I never leave Your hands.” JJ Heller
One day for certain everything will be made clear. This is why Scripture tells us to set our hearts and minds on things above – not on earthly things:
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col 3:1-4 (NIV)
"One thing that Jesus brings to our attention is the importance of living in this world with our eyes fixed upon what is above. A follower of the Lord experiences eternal realities while he lives in a temporal world--he sees things that others do not see; he hears things that others do not hear; he know things that others do not know. A follower of the Lord walks with his feet upon the ground, while his eyes are fixed upon heaven. He knows that all the things around him are passing away, and that all that is before him will last forever." Roy Lessin