Scripture Lesson: John 16:23-27
23And 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. 24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 25These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
Meditation
We come to the end of one of the final teachings that Jesus shared with His disciples. Our promise for today has been repeated over 6 times in John chapters 14-16 and more than 10 times in the Gospels. Although our lessons may sound like a broken record, these scriptures are recorded separately. Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. He continues on to say ask and you shall receive so that your joy may be full. Why does Jesus have to keep repeating the same thing over and over?
It is obvious. This would be a challenging subject for God’s children. But why? It doesn’t make sense. If Jesus is going to take the time to tell the disciples this same thing over and over again, it must be important. Jesus did not spend this last good teaching session telling them about sin issues, living right or giving to the poor. He spent these last hours telling them to love each other. He told them about the greater works them would do, how to abide in Him, and the work of the Holy Spirit. But He also made them a promise; a promise that He repeated over 6 times in this one lesson. Ask the Father for what you want and believe that you will receive it.
Here is the interesting thing. We still don’t get it. After close to 2000 years, we still don’t believe that you can ask God for what you want. We must make everything a struggle. If you don’t like what is happening in any area of your life, ask God to fix it. If your kids are acting up, ask God for what you want. If your boss does not treat you right, ask God to fix it. If you want your employees to have a better work ethic, ask God to fix it. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have and what you don’t want; ask God for what you desire.
Look at John 16:24. Read it over and over again until you get to the point that you believe what it says. Ask and you will receive so that you joy may be full. God wants you happy. He wants you full of joy. He does not want you beat up and broke down.
Perhaps, this is why we must come to God as a child. If you took a child to the store and told them that you would buy them whatever they wanted, they would not be in theological discussions about how this was too good to be true. They would race up and down the aisle, getting what they want. Let’s stop tell each other what we don’t want and start asking God for what we do want. This is not prosperity teaching, “name it and claim it” theology or new age “ask the universe” stuff. This is what the Bible has instructed us to do.
Affirmations
I want to obey God’s Word. Instead of complaining about what I don’t want, I will ask God for what I do want. I rejoice and I am grateful for the promise that whatsoever I ask the Father in my name, He will give it to me.
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