Endless Possibilities!

John 14:14 (ESV)

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

The Amplified version has: “And I will do whatever you ask in My name [as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son.”

There are endless possibilities when we pray!

Eph 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Prayer is one of the ways in which we maintain our union with Christ. A means by which we abide in Christ - John 15:1-8 - As Jesus puts it: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Our faith looks to Christ. Our desire to do more for Christ; to surrender to His will for our lives; to enter into a higher; deeper; wider love for Christ, find their expression in Christ.

But there is a wrong way to pray - James 4:2-3 “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Jesus then is offering endless possibilities in prayer but its not a blank cheque to get just anything we want - not to spend on selfish pleasures and so this verse must be qualified with what John himself says in 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

We must not think of prayer as we too often do—exclusively as a means of getting blessing for ourselves but like Jesus, let us see prayer as one of the primary channels of influence by which, through us as workers together with God, the blessings of salvation are given to the world!

So although prayer has endless possibilities, it has such possibilities as long as we, like Jesus seek to glorify God and do those thigns which glorify God

Look again at what Jesus says here, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”(John 14:13-14).

There are some MUSTS in prayer:

1. Our prayers MUST GLORIFY GOD. They must not be self-centred but God-centred.

In promising to answer our prayers Jesus tells us that His GREAT DESIRE was this: “that the Son may bring glory to the Father.”

In His intercession on earth (John 17), this was His sole desire and plea; as He intercedes in heaven - vs 1-5 “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

It was Paul’s great desire for us as well, praying as he did that: “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is sthe hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ wwhen he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in cthis age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”(Eph 1:18-23).

2. Our prayers MUST BE ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL!

This does not negate faith and it is not an indication of a lack of faith it expresses a willingness to defer to God’s will.

We must be careful not to delcare something to be God’s will that we do not know is according to His will because that would not be confidence in God it would be arrogance, which God may not honour!

(a). Jesus taught us to defer to the will of God by HIS EXAMPLE - “Father if it is your will, take this cup from me. Nevertheless not my will but yours be done!”(Luke 22:42).

A Confederate soldier, who was killed in action, was to be buried and before his burial, a search was undertaken of his clothing to aid perhaps with identity to retreive his worldy goods, to send back to his relatives, etc. A prayer was found in the soldier’s handwriting: “I asked God for strength, that I might achieve. I was made weak, that I might learn humbly how to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things.I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy. I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life. I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for – but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”

Often our UNANSWERED PRAYERS are answered in ways that God sees BEST for us!

(b). Jesus taight us to defer to the will of God in HIS TEACHING - “This is how you should pray...thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

When the will of God is clear in Scripture, i.e. that people might be saved; that I might evangelise and pray and seek a holy life, so yes I can pray for those thigns with confidence and boldness.

However there are some things which are not clear in the intricate details of life; should I take this job; should I buy this house; marry this person, then we can tell God our preference BUT we cannot ditate to God the outcome!

“Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.”(E Stanley-Jones).

3. Our prayers MUST BE ASKED WITH RIGHT MOTIVES.

James 4 which we have already referenced speaks of Christians with bad attitudes towards one another.

They are arguing and backbiting, using their tongues to harm others; seeking wealth to live easy lives, without trouble.

If we seek to GLORIFY GOD and live ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL then we will have the RIGHT MOTIVES, praying aright, as righteous men and women of God. We will be like Elijah, offering effective prayers of faith.

So to pray with right motives, and James advises us to do something like this: “when we are together: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.2 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”(James 5:13-20).

Let us then be CONFIDENT IN OUR PRAYING: Oswald Chambers: “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.”

SO then brethren their are endless possibilities in prayer! Let us resort to it often and with confidence in our hearts, remembering that we come a THE THRONE OF GRACE:

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(Heb 4:14-16).

ANd let our praying be characterised by being

1. GLORIFYING TO GOD.

2. ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL!

3. ASKED WITH RIGHT MOTIVES.