WORD TREASURES 7/23/23
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (Jn.14:13-14) (ESV)
In recent articles, we discovered that we are God’s address because we have been given a great and meaningful Gospel assignment. We Christians have work to do – work we cannot accomplish unless we have God’s Presence moving in and through us. This assignment/calling is what gives our life purpose and direction. When we
give ourselves to this calling, the reality of God living inside us to strengthen us to His holy task becomes obvious – a point I tried to emphasize. Without this assignment, we wander dangerously (Prov. 29:18).
Today, we cover another critical and necessary reason for God to live in His children. We Christians need God’s POWER when we pray. Because we are His address – God will ANSWER PRAYER! “Whatever you ask” is textually tied to “the works I do and greater.” Though the following should be obvious, this still must be said. God will not honor selfish & vain prayers with wrong desires of the flesh (James 4:1-3). Prayers like, “O God, bless my life, give me a new car or a great job or a gorgeous wife/handsome husband, or keep me safe from all problems, and
let me be promoted, wealthy, and have a perfectly successful life at ease." All this rings of the ‘name it and claim it’ error proclaimed by well known supposed Gospel preachers over the last 40 years. These false teachers are those who are getting wealthy off of the average believer and those most famous of these live opulent lives of fabulous wealth – a sinful disgrace to the Lord they claim to represent. Jesus said, I have “no where to lay my head.” Jesus also said it was “more blessed to give and receive and freely we have received freely give.” The promise of answered prayer is about those requests born out of love for God, expressing that love towards others, agreeing with what He is doing, being about His business – His will, and a desire to glorify Him. These kinds of prayers have a Gospel flavor. And, God’s promises to answer prayer like that are nothing short of phenomenal. Anyone committed to His Gospel cause and wanting to bring the Lord glory has discovered this to be true!
Jesus taught Christians to pray saying, “Ask in my name…” What did He mean? Surely He could not have meant as a formula which guaranteed the answer desired. “In His name” is not a formula one states in order to force God’s hand into giving the answers hoped for. Rather, it means making our requests in total dependence on Christ, surrender, and living in union with Him. No small wonder we need to be filled with his Presence! How else could we live with Him and do His will unless He lived within to perform His agenda and answer us when we call on Him!
The great secret to answered prayer is the SPIRIT-filled life! Careful Bible study reveals that there is not much instruction on ‘how to’ prayer methods. Yet, there are 100’s of commands and exhortations about being close to God – about God answering prayer – about how we should call on Him in faith and trust HIM! But for all that – there is only scant info on "how to." That’s because prayer is more about trusting the indwelling Spirit than formulas or methods. The Spirit-filled life is the secret to answered prayer! Hear this principle from Rom. 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (ESV) Can we see the obvious and necessary connection? We saints (Christians) need God’s help to pray right and God has given that help! The phrase "groanings too deep for words" is not a reference to speaking with other tongues as some have erroneously claimed. It isn’t speaking any language – it is a groaning too deep for words! And it isn’t the human praying who is groaning but the Holy Spirit living within every believer. God Himself is groaning for us – so great is His compassion for our well being and for us to be in the Father’s will! Believe it my friends, God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us pray aright and bring answers to those prayers. Without the Spirit living within, we would have no hope of ever praying in the will of God. But when we do – our Lord answers just as He said He would (1 Jn. 5:14-15).
Pastor Mike
