WHATEVER YOU ASK

By pilgrim 13 February, 2022 PILGRIMAGE 1 Comment

Imagine getting a blank check or access to a bank account where you can spend unlimited amounts of money! Only when we deal with God who is infinite, do we begin to get into the possibility of unlimited blessings. And among several unlimited resources that God promises is the incredible offer made in John 14:13,14,

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Here Jesus makes a promise that has no cap to it. Whatever you ask is promised by God if two conditions are met.

First, it has to be asked in Jesus’ name. What does this mean? Some Christians are notorious in driving up a frenzy and asking God to bless them and provide them with blessings in a maniacal way by invoking the name of Jesus, thinking that just saying the name of Jesus would somehow magically make anything come to pass. They are obviously wrong. Asking in Jesus name means asking in faith. Asking in faith begins with the firm knowledge that Jesus alone is the way to salvation. That he came down to earth and died for our sins is where faith begins, and uniting ourselves to him in repentance and obedience to him is where faith finds fulfilment. It is faith manifested in such a way within us that makes the spiritual powers take notice, rather than taking the name of Jesus, hoping for magic to happen. The story in Acts about the sons of Sceva illustrates this fact.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. (Acts 19:13-16)

The second requirement is that God may be glorified in Christ. The Bible makes it clear that God’s ultimate glory is in and through Christ. Those who want this promise to be true in their lives need to be aligned with Christ. And that alignment is made perfect by knowing the will of God for a particular situation. Blindly asking God to accomplish any particular thing is foolishness. Rather, seeking God’s will is wisdom. When adversity comes, at times it might be God’s plan for a person to suffer through it. If so, the right prayer is not to take the adversity away, rather to grant grace to endure it. We need to understand likewise that miracles are exceptional, not usual. If usual, they would not be miracles. If God has established that norm for this universe, rather than constantly ask for a miracle, we need to ask grace to be faithful in the usual. Finding God’s perfect will is anything but easy because even when we get an inkling of the will of God, we often end up mistaking the timing because we are finite beings trying to glean an infinite reality. So even when you ask in faith, be willing to accept that you might be mistaken in sensing God’s will and hence come up short.

There is scope for improvement in the manner of prayer. It is a lifelong journey. However, when these conditions are met, all that remains is to ask.