RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-03-17	Whatever You Ask In My Name (Jn.14:13)
		Joh 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Multiple times Jesus said He was going away (Jn.7:34; 8:21; 12:8; 13:33). Jesus just told them one of the Twelve was a traitor (Jn.13:21), and that Peter would deny Him three times (Jn.13:38). This was an exceptionally low time for the disciples. John 14 is a chapter of comfort for the disciples. He opens with the reality that He will return for them (Jn.14:1-4). Then He has a conversation about “the way” with Thomas (Jn.14:5-7). Jesus tells them all that He is the way. Then Jesus responds to Philip who asks about seeing the Father (Jn.14:8-12). Jesus tells them, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”. That brings us to our verse where Jesus said, “whatever you ask in My name, that I will do” (Jn.14:13). This seems to give the disciples the right to ask for anything they want. If that is true, then Jesus would be obligated to give anything to us. Jesus is trying to encourage them by promising that He would hear and answer their prayers. Jesus says, anything you ask “in My name” would be granted to them. We are welcome to come in Jesus' name and ask to receive what we need. The Father willingly grants our requests because of Jesus' standing. Coming in Jesus' name means we request things that agree with the character and will of Christ. If we ask for things that are simply selfish, we should not expect to receive them (Ja.4:3). Jas 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. When Jesus said He would give “whatever you ask in My name,” He was not delivering a magical formula for getting whatever we want. He was giving us a guiding principle to align one's desires with God's. When we pray, “in Jesus' name,” we pray according to the will of God. We pray for what will honor and glorify Jesus. Ultimately, “the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The prayers of believers, as Christ’s representatives doing His business, will be answered. 1Jn 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1Jn 5:15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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