What John 15:7 Reveals About Prayer: Part 3

By Associate Pastor for Prayer Ben Dickerson

"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  (John 15:7)

In part one, we focused on the relationship we must have in order to expect answers to our prayers: "If you remain in Me," Jesus said. 

In part two, we looked at the importance of how we ask -- it is not to be with fearfulness about our circumstances, but with our focus and faith in the promises and the faithfulness of the One who makes them: "and my words abide in you."

Now in part three, we focus on the third element in this verse: "ask whatever you wish and it will be given you."

The great English pastor, Charles Spurgeon, once said: "Whether we like it or not, ASKING is the rule of the Kingdom.  In the familiar words of James 4:2, we are reminded that the reason we don't have what we need is because we fail to ask.

There are some wonderful promises in Scripture about God's provision for us.  For example, the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:19, "My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Jesus also tells us, in Matthew 6:33, not to worry about the things that we need for life, but to seek the Kingdom of God and He will provide all we need.

Sometimes we think that because God loves us and already knows what we need, He will automatically supply it for us.  Certainly He does sometimes, but His greatest desire is to be in relationship with us.  As any father does with his children, God wants to be appreciated and not taken for granted.

God is EAGER to pour His blessings into our lives, but He often waits for us to ask for what we need.  He does that so that "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen" (2 Corinthians 4:18).  Is there something you are longing for in your life?  ASK the Father; He's longing to show you His love by meeting your need!