by Steve Bray
“If you abide in Me, and My words
abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
(John 15:7) God has promised to answer our prayers. But this promise is not
enjoyed by all Christians.
The blessings of God are not all
received at once. Our Lord explained this principle when he spoke to the believing Jews in John eight: “Then
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My
disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.’ ” (v. 31-33) If we will respond to the truth in the time of testing, and
our faith is proven to be real, the Spirit will lead us into the fullness of
the promises. Therefore, “do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:12)
Not everyone who has been called
out by God through the new birth has chosen to abide in Christ and His words.
Even though there is a new “seed” of life within their heart providing
sufficient strength to overcome the world and the flesh, only a “few” are ever
willing to press into the kingdom of God
One of the first results of this
abiding union with Christ will be the continual exercise of prayer. Those who
do not abide in Christ will not have inward desire to pray without ceasing. But
Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask.” Prayer becomes an
outpouring of the heart, and it will flow spontaneously from everyone who is
truly abiding in the spiritual life of Jesus.
When this grace is secured in a
high degree, and we find ourselves depending on God for everything, we become
His favored children. He works out all things for those who live by absolute
dependence upon Him.
Prayer is the natural outgushing
of a soul that is receiving all its strength from the Vine. These children of
faith naturally pray. And because they see God’s hand in everything, they are
enabled to rejoice always and continually give thanks to Him for what He is
working out for their eternal good. They do not become anxious about anything
because they live by faith in God. The written command becomes an innate part
of their inner nature.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again
I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at
hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4-7)
Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
As the fruit naturally comes out
of the branch simply because of its connection with the stem, so does this
trusting prayer-life bud and blossom out of the soul that is always depending
on Christ. Those who feed on the spiritual life of Jesus naturally pray. They
do not say to themselves, “It is time for us to continue with the task of
praying.” No, they pray as wise men eat. They possess an inner desire to
commune with God. This communion with God surrounds them as an atmosphere
wherever they go. They fall asleep praying; and they can joyfully say, “When I
awake, I am still with Thee.” (Ps. 139:18)
Habitual asking is a natural
result of abiding in the life of Christ. You will not need to be urged to pray
when you are continually abiding in Jesus. He says, “You will ask,” and depend
upon it, you will, when you have learned to walk in His Spirit and are trusting
in Him for all things.
Nobody needs to prove the doctrine
of prayer to someone who is abiding in Christ. They enjoy the thing itself.
This does not imply that their abiding in the life of Christ will increase the
fluency of their words. Fluency is not necessarily a spiritual endowment,
especially when it is not accompanied by the spiritual insight that comes from
the fullness of the Spirit.
The man who abides in the Son’s
spiritual life will know he is walking with the Father and being heard by Him.
Spiritual Christians can say with Jesus, “Father, I thank You that you have
heard Me. And I know that you always hear Me.” (John 11:41-42) Of course, at
the same time, these souls can also say, “The Father has not left Me alone, for
I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29)
Do not attempt to seize this holy
liberty by excitement or presumption. There is only one way to ensure an answer
to your prayers: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask
what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” It is only by living as
obedient and dependent little children, looking to the heavenly Father for all
things, that you can open your mouth wide and expect God to fill it.
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
the purpose for your being, your life’s one objective and design, is to bring
forth fruit to the glory of the Father. “By this My Father is glorified, that
you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 5:8) To gain this end,
you must die to the self-sufficient ways of the flesh and abide in the Son’s
spiritual life. And when you do, you will come to know how “the desire of the
righteous shall be granted.” (Prov. 10:24)
Does this text about granting our
requests really mean what it says? I never knew my Lord to say anything He did
not mean. I am sure He often means more than we have understood Him to say, but
He never means less.
Mind you, He does not say to all men, “I will give you whatever you
ask.” He is speaking only to His obedient disciples. He commits this marvelous
power of prayer to those who are living under the control and power of His
Spirit.
If I may covet one thing above
every other, it is that God would do what I ask Him to do. One such believer as
this in a church is worth ten thousand Christians who are still working in
their own strength.
Spiritual Christians enter into a
relationship with God that permits them to fulfill His very purpose for
creating them. He gives them dominion in their appointed sphere of labor by
enabling them to use the power of His Spirit. The stamp of His blessing is seen
in how they are empowered to carry out what God has called them to do. “But he
who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that
they have been done in God.” (John 3:21)
Jesus now possesses all power and
authority over the things of this earth. Once we are living under His dominion,
He makes us kings and priests unto God. It is then that we can begin sharing
with Him in His dominion and accomplish the greater works He has planned to do
through our lives.
Behold Elijah, with the keys of
the rain swinging at his side. He shuts or opens the windows of heaven! “Elijah
was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not
rain; and it did not rain on the land for three yours and six months. And he
prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (Jam.
Spiritual Christians today have
greater access to the power of God than did Elijah. We are now living in the
age of fulfillment when it is possible to live through the Son’s resurrection
life. Aspire therefore to be men and women who have this text fulfilled through
you: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you.”
You need to understand your
responsibility as a Christian. You have a very real obligation to submit your
whole being to the Lord so He may be glorified through you. Abide in Him. Never
withdraw your consecration. Never do anything for your own honor and glory.
Never dream of being your own master. Refuse to be the servant of men by
yielding to their carnal whims. Abide in Christ!
Our gracious Lord has provided a
delightful parable to help us better understand these principles. The lessons
provided in His discourse about the vine and its branches reveals how He
intends to manifest His life and works through us. (John 15:1-17)
First, we need to be prepared to
go through some suffering. Dying to the flesh-life is never easy. But it must
take place before there can be a full participation with Christ in His reigning
spiritual life. Jesus says, “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it
may bear more fruit.” (v. 2) Pruning implies a severe cutting back. There are
spiritually dead things within us that draw away energy from the Spirit’s
life-giving sap. These things prevent us from being fruitful.
“But take heed to yourselves, lest
your hearts be weighed down with…cares of this life…” (Luke 21:34) Man
typically expends his time, energy and resources trying to find spiritual
support from the temporal things of this world. It results in an independent
and self-sufficient form of life that separates the soul from the eternal life
of God. To have this old form of life pruned away is always painful. Thus,
every called-out child of God will need to endure this pruning work and
“imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb.
6:12)
Therefore, since Christ suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has
suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin {living out from himself according to
his own will and desires}, that he no longer should live the rest of his time
in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent
enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles {in living for
the pleasures of this world}… (1 Peter 4:1-3)
For you have need of endurance, so
that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. (Heb.
10:36)
Once we have come to the end of
ourselves, ceased from our own works, and have begun to live through the
Spirit, we are lifted by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit into a
spiritual union with the heavenly life of our Lord. And then, as we walk in
this same resurrection power, we begin sharing with Him in the spiritual
blessing contained in His life. (Eph. 1:3) “For if we have been united together
in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5)
The Holy Spirit is able to lift us
into a spiritual state where we may begin praying in harmony with the Son’s
life and will. It is then that we can truly ask in His name and expect to
receive answers to our prayers.
I once heard a brother say, “Since
I became a Christian, I have had more troubles than ever. Men ridicule me, the
devil tempts me, and my business affairs have gone wrong.” While these troubles
do not all have their source in God, He permits these things to occur. In the
same sense that the self-sufficient Peter was permitted to be sifted by the
devil until he had lost all hope in his own strength, God permits each of His
called-out children to be sifted until they have learned to live by dependent
faith in the power of His Spirit. He knows that His power can only be perfected
in the weakness of dependent faith.
The apostle Paul also had to learn
this same lesson. After learning the principle, he said, “Therefore I take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in
distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor.
12:10) As long as we have confidence in the flesh we will tend to work in our
own strength. These human works end up preventing God’s power from being
perfected through our lives. “For My strength is made perfect in weakness.”(v.
9) He therefore does whatever is necessary to break our self-sufficient spirit.
We should expect God to make use
of difficult trials and troubles to increase our dependence upon Him. Again,
the apostle Paul explained this principle to the Corinthians in clear terms:
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered
in the province of Asia … But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,
who raises the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:8-9 NIV)
If you are to have power in
prayer, you must continue to depend on God even when the sharp knife of the
Spirit is cutting away your old independent and self-sufficient spirit. Endure
trials and never dream of giving up your faith because of the suffering that
God has permitted to enter into your life to take away your fleshly strength.
Say with Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (Job 13:15 )
If you are now feeling the pruning
process, Peter says, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials
you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you... So
then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to
their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Pet. 4:12 , 19 NIV)
You will need to continue to
follow the ways of your Lord even when the scourging becomes quite painful.
(Heb. 12:6) “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Gal. 7:9) God will lift you spiritually
into His heavenly Kingdom-life where it is possible to share with Him in the
power of His throne if you will continue to respond to His teachings in the
wilderness testing period.
And when they had preached the
gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium,
and Antioch kingdom of God
But may the God of all grace, who
called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a
while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you {in His eternal
Kingdom-life}. (1 Pet. 5:10)
Therefore gird up the loins of
your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 1:13)
I will come to you… Because I live
{in the eternal Kingdom-life}, you will live also {in the same life}. At that
day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John
14:18-20)
Rebel not because of the things
you need to suffer at the dear hand of your heavenly Father. He is the
vinedresser and He knows what He is doing. Cling to Jesus all the more closely.
Persevere in the faith by becoming more dependent on Him. Your trust will be
gloriously rewarded in due time. Say, “Cut, Lord, cut if You must. I will cling
to You. To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
If you will continue to abide in
Jesus when the pruning knife begins to cut deep, the vinedresser will prepare
you so you may “ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” After you
have died to your old independent and self-sufficient way of life and learned
to continually abide in Christ, you will praise God for everything He has done.
He will honor you by raising you spiritually into a place where you may share
with Christ in the power of His throne.
If anyone serves Me, let him
follow Me {through the cross}; and where I am {on the throne of power}, there My servant will be also. If anyone
serves Me {by living through the Spirit}, him My Father will honor. (John
12:24-26)
There is another qualification to
meet if we hope to have our prayers answered. Our text includes a critical
statement that must not be overlooked: “and My words abide in you.” How
important, then, are Christ’s words! He said in the fourth verse, “Abide in Me,
and I in you,” and now as a parallel to this it is, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you.” If you do
not come to an understanding of Christ’s teachings and His Word of life, you
will not be able to abide in Him.
Are Christ’s words and Christ’s
life identical? Yes, practically speaking. He is the Living Word. He revealed
in bodily form what is taught in the Word of God. We will naturally walk as He
did when we are truly living in full harmony with His teachings.
But whoever keeps His word, truly
the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who
says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John
2:5-6)
There are many who say that Jesus
is their Lord. But when it comes to obeying His teachings, they are very
careless. They insist their heart is right toward His person, and in this
presumptuous position, they claim liberty to live and think as they please. But
they are only deceiving themselves. You cannot have the divine life of Christ
while rejecting His Word. You cannot abide in Him without also having His
Living Word abide in you.
Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his
flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of
the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Gal. 6:7-9)
He who has My commandments and
keeps them, it is he who loves Me…and I will love him and manifest Myself {as
an indwelling life of divine love} to him. (John 14:21)
We cannot separate Christ and His
Kingdom-life from His Word. In the first place, He is the Word made manifest.
His Living Word reveals the “light” found in God’s revealed truth. This is the
same “light” He has purposed to manifest through our mortal bodies. If we are
therefore abiding in Him, and He is truly abiding in us, we will live in
harmony with His word and manifest His “light of life.” (John 8:12)
In the next place, how dare we
call Him Lord and Master and then refuse to respond to His teachings. We cannot
possibly believe in the true Christ if we do not believe in His Word. I ask you
to listen to His own words on this subject: “Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21) We must obey His precepts or He will not accept
us as His disciples. He says, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples
indeed.” (John 8:31)
If you have not fully surrendered
to a life of abiding in Christ and His word you really do not have anything to
do with the Christ of the Bible. The Scriptures are very clear on this matter:
“He who says, ‘I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and
the truth is not in him.’ ” (1 John 2:4) If you will not have Christ’s words in
your life, then He will not manifest the heavenly life He shares with His
Father in you.
If anyone loves Me, he will keep
My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home
with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words… (John 14:23-24)
Oh, for the needed grace to pass
through these two golden doors! “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you.” We exhort you to push through both doors so you may enter into His throne
room where “You will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Let us encourage you to trade in
everything from your old independent way of life so you may enter into His
eternal kingdom where everyone lives through Christ’s Spirit. This Pearl of
Great Price will cost you everything from the flesh-life. (Matt. 13:45-46) But
once you have lost your old way of life, you will then be enabled to share with
Christ in both His Kingdom-life and the power of His throne. “Whoever loses his
life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)
You still may say that you do not
quite see why a man who abides in Christ should be allowed to receive whatever
he asks in prayer. But the answer is simple: It is possible to grant these
requests because this person has such a predominance of grace that his renewed
will becomes “as one” with God’s will. (John 17:22-23) We are joined as one
with the Word of Life. “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with
Him.” (1 Cor. 6:17) Do you not see that when we are in such a condition as
this, our will is God’s will? Deep within our hearts we shall desire only what
the Lord Himself wills. We enter into this unity of wills by dying to our own
and choosing to become “one spirit with Him.”
We should begin to see why a holy
God is unable to take a carnal man and say to him, “I will give you whatsoever
you desire.” What would this kind of man seek? Even if he used the power to
help others, his self-seeking and self-exalting nature would cause him to seek
recognition and glory for himself. God will never share His power with people
who are still seeking to build their own reputation.
But when God has taken a man and
formed him into the image of the Son, and this man truly has “the mind of
Christ,” then he can be trusted! The Son emptied Himself of His own glory and
made Himself of “no reputation.” (Phil. 2:5-8) He lived in a way that permitted
His Father to receive all the glory. Those who will truly follow Jesus enter
into a place where they may be honored as the Father honored His Firstborn Son.
By planting the seed in the ground
and becoming nothing in self, it is possible to be raised by the resurrection
power of the Spirit to the throne of power. (John 12:24-25) “If anyone serves
Me, let him follow Me {through the cross}; and where I am {at the throne of
power}, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me {by walking in the
Spirit}, him My Father will honor.” (v. 26)
Does your heart long to enter into
this glorious privilege? It is by the way of holiness, the way of union with
Christ’s divine life and nature. Once you have followed Him through the cross and
into His resurrection life you will find yourself living in union with Him. And
it is in this abiding relationship that you will gain access to the power of
His throne and receive answers to your prayers.
The Father’s love to Jesus is so
great that He denies Him nothing. Jesus was obedient to death. “He died to sin
{self-will} once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” (Rom. 6:10 ) His Father therefore loves Him
and grants Him all His petitions. Similarly, when we have died to self-will and
have entered into an abiding union with the life of the Son, where we are
living for Him alone, the Father looks upon us in the same way as He looks upon
the Son. As we “reckon” ourselves to be dead to our own will and ways so we may
always “live to God,” we become partakers with the Son in the power of His
throne.
To him who overcomes {the
flesh-life} I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and
sat down with My Father on His throne. (Rev. 3:21)
For if we have been united
together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of His resurrection. (Rom. 6:5)
Every believer should try to reach
this place of boundless influence. What might the church become if all her
members were mighty in prayer! Aspire to be strong in the Lord and in the power
of His might so that you may enjoy this exceedingly great and precious
privilege.
Children of God, it is within your
reach! If you will choose to die to the sufficiency of the flesh and learn to
abide in the life of Christ, then this special privilege will be granted to you
by a faithful God who does not lie.
Abiding in the Word of God is not
an irksome duty once you are living through the life of Christ. His life and
words are one in the same nature. It brings you into harmony with the
firstfruits of the life of heaven. While the pruning will involve some
suffering, the Pearl of Great Price is well worth everything that is given up
for Christ’s sake. Depend on Him to establish His reigning life within your
heart, and then you too will receive this glorious privilege: You shall ask
what you desire and it shall be done for you.
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