I Remain: Ask the Father

As a child, and still to this day, I will not take no for an answer when I want my dad to get something for me. I remember, especially as a child, when WWE, which my dad and I are a fan of, would come close to where we live. I would consistently beg him to buy tickets for us.

Also, when my sister and I wanted to go to a Mississippi State football game, we would ask things like, "Hey, Dad, can we go?" or, "Hey, Dad, can you get one of your friends to get us some tickets to the game on Saturday?"

One thing I learned about my dad is most of the time he caves in when you consistently ask to get something you want. But what does it mean to ask for things from our Heavenly Father?

John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

As we discussed last week, Jesus said many "If, then" statements in the passage we are studying. He speaks again in these statements telling us that if we abide in Him, we can ask the Father what we want, and it will be done. Does this mean God is a magical genie in the sky who gives us what we want?

Abiding in Jesus means bearing spiritual fruit. Abiding in Jesus is a mutual relationship. He abides in us, and we abide in Him. When this happens, we acknowledge that we have died to ourselves and live in Him. Only then are we able to pray for the Father's Will to be done.

Our hearts should not treat God as a vending machine, always wanting to get something from Him. Instead, when we truly abide in Him, our prayers and requests will begin to express less of a need for what we want and more of a need to submit to God's Will. Our hearts and minds begin to reflect the heart of Jesus.

Praying and making requests to God comes with abiding in Him and His Will.

Sources: NIV Study Application Bible, Bible Ref, Daily Verse-Knowing Jesus