February 3
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you . . . Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full,” John 16:23-24.
In this third devotion in our series on the subject of prayer, the Lord Jesus tells us how we should pray. He invites us to pray to the heavenly Father in His name, thereby He is telling us several things. First of all, we should approach the heavenly Father with faith in Jesus as God’s Son and our Savior. It is the same as saying, “Lord, I am a sinner. I do not deserve Your goodness. Lord, I am pleading for Your mercy, revealed through Christ Jesus.” When we conclude our prayers with the words, “in Jesus’ name” or “for Jesus’ sake,” we are asking the heavenly Father to hear and answer our prayers out of His limitless love, which He revealed in the sending of His Son to be our Savior.
Jesus’ invitation to pray in His name includes the promise that our prayers will be heard and answered. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” Trust Him; His Word is good!
On another occasion when Jesus was speaking about prayer, He said, “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive,” Matthew 21:22. We should have a firm trust in Jesus’ promise, and confidently believe that God will hear and answer our prayers for Jesus’ sake. Do not doubt Jesus’ promise. Do not express your prayer and then conclude with the thought, “I won’t get it anyway!” Doubting God’s promises is an insult to God!
This raises another question: Does the triune God really answer every proper prayer? Yes – in His own time and way. The apostle Paul suffered from what he called, “a thorn in the flesh.” We are not told what physical ailment he was suffering. However, he adds, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,’” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9. God gave Paul the strength and faith to bear his ailment, and he confessed that thereby God kept him humble. Yes, God indeed answers our proper prayers, but in His own way and time. As He says through the prophet Isaiah, “‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,’ says the Lord, your Redeemer,” Isaiah 54:7-8.
Are there prayers that God has not promised to answer? Yes! God has not promised to answer prayers in which we try to dictate to Him how and when He should answer, and prayers that are expressed with doubt in His promises and without faith in Jesus.
Continue in your faith in Jesus as your Savior, through whom you can approach the heavenly Father, and continue trusting in His promises for body and soul and for time and eternity.
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation, Great and free.
I am trusting Thee for pardon; At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy, Trusting now.
I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying, All my need. Amen.