JESUS TEACHES HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY

John 16:23

Morning Meditation 2/25/2014

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you."

There are many wonderful things Jesus taught His disciples just prior to His death on the cross. They had grown to love Him dearly. The thoughts of losing Him was just too much for them to grasp. Jesus teaches them that He will just be a prayer away. He assures them that the Father will hear them when they pray. So, He teaches them to pray. He says, "ask." Let's notice first,

WHO TO ASK?

Jesus says, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name . . ." God is our Father. We have a relationship to God as Father. Luke 11:2 says, "And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."

Jesus addressed God as His Father in Mark 14:36, "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." The Greek lexicon says the following: "father, customary title used of God in prayer. Whenever it occurs in the New Testament it has the Greek interpretation joined to it, that is apparently to be explained by the fact that the Chaldee 'ABBA' through frequent use in prayer, gradually acquired the nature of a most sacred proper name, to which the Greek speaking Jews added the name from their own tongue."

Jesus taught that we have the right to be aware of the relationship of a son to the Father when we pray. This will encourage our faith to know that we are not asking a cold calculating God for something. We are asking our Father.

Paul writes in his Epistle to the Romans in chapter 1 verse 7: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

We are to approach God as our Father in the Spirit of worship. Paul brings this out in Romans 8:15, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Paul states this also in Galatians 4:6, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." This verse reveals that God has given us not only the right to call Him Father but "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son" into our hearts. This is the enablement of true worship..

We are truly the sons (and daughters) of God, and God has made this possible through creating us anew in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), and. as seal of that relationship has sent forth the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Ephesians 4:30, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Next,

HOW ARE WE TO ASK?

Jesus taught His disciples in John 14:13-14, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

We are to ask in the name of Christ. When we do this Jesus promises that He Himself will respond to that request. This is the promise: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do . . ."

John Gill has a good comment: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, &c.] Whether it be for assistance in preaching of the Gospel; or for the performance of miraculous operations in confirmation of it; or for success to attend it; or for any blessings whatsoever, whether for themselves or others: that will I do; he does not say, that he would be a Mediator between God, and them, an advocate with the Father for them, and would intercede, and use his interest with him that it might be done, which would have been saying much, and all which he does; but he declares he will do it himself, which is a proof of his deity, and an instance of his omnipotence."

We are to ask believingly in the Name of Jesus. We must believe in the power of that Name. I believe this truth is revealed in Peter's use of Jesus Name in Acts 3:1-8, "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

Who worked this miracle? I believe that Peter knew at that point that Jesus was with him, though unseen, and so he simply exercised by faith what Jesus had taught him in John 14:13-14.

How are we to ask? We are to ask in the power of the Spirit. We are weak and frail in our human nature, but Paul tells us in Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." This means the weakest saint has the aid of the omnipotent Holy Spirit in asking our heavenly Father for aid. Next,

WHAT ARE WE TO ASK FOR?

He has unlimited resources and will respond to prayer when it is in Jesus Name. We are to ask for help.. 2 Chronicles 20:4, "And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD." We can call this a national prayer meeting.

We need to ask for the fulness of the Spirit. Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" It is impossible to do the work of the Lord apart from the fulness of the Spirit in our lives. It is easy to fall into the trap of doing the Lord's work in the flesh. No work of the flesh will stand at the judgment seat of Christ. It will go up in flames (1 Cor. 3:12-15).

We can ask for the fulness of Joy. John 16:24, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." This is the joy of answered prayer. When you pray and see God answering your prayers, there is true joy resulting.

We can ask for wisdom. Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Many have taught the truth but their message was not received, because the one teaching, had no wisdom in presenting the truth. James 1:5-8 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Next,

WHAT CONDITION DO WE HAVE TO MEET?

We need to abide in Christ. Jesus taught this to His disciples in John 15:7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Abiding in Christ means we have made a choice to live our lives in the environment of Christ. He is within every believer. But He does not control every believer. This is a truth only understood by a Christian who has gone beyond just being saved. Jesus explains in John 6:57, "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." The Lord's intent for all believers is to live by Him. No transaction can be made by the one abiding in Christ that is not taken to Him for His approval before action is taken. The one who abides in Christ has given up his rights and given them over to Christ.

The one abiding in Christ will read the Scriptures and study them as earnestly and consistently as one eats food to live. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Next,

WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT DO WE HAVE TO PRAY

We can be encouraged by the provisions that God has made for us. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

When Paul says God is able, he means that it is available. God is willing. God does not tease us with promises that He is unwilling to keep.

The LORD says in Psalms 81:13-14, "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries." I believe this verse teaches that Israel quit too soon. They looked to the circumstances and did not think God would help. I wonder how many times I have prayed for something and I quit believing and praying just before God answered. Jesus teaches us to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1).

This is a great encouragement to pray. God is able to do more than we are able to ask. We need to listen to Him and then act in prayer.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts..

In Christ

Bro. White