Easter 6 John 16:23-33 Ask Of The Father

Acts 16:9-15 Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27

It is the 6^th Sunday after Easter. Jesus is risen. (He is risen indeed.) But in our Gospel lesson, we look back to just before He went to the cross.

He tells His disciples, “Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.”  Jesus really said that.  Ask the Father for anything in Jesus’ name, and He will grant it. He will not just answer; the Father will actually do it.  Up until that time, the disciples and all of the Jews were praying to God the Father. Now however, Jesus adds a qualifier to their prayers. They are still to pray to the Father but now they are to add, “In Jesus name” to the end of their prayers.

Jesus is carrying the sins of the world on His shoulders. He accepted our sins upon Himself at His baptism and shortly He would die on the cross as a payment for all sins. He would make an acceptable sacrifice to God the Father on our behalf.  In so doing, our souls would be redeemed. When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are proclaiming your faith in the work of Jesus Christ.  Prayer is an opportunity to demonstrate your trust in God.

In prayer, you are telling the Father that you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  By praying in the name of Jesus, you are asking God to glorify Jesus and in so doing you are telling God that His Son’s work was not in vain, because you are trusting in Him for eternal life.  You are praying that for the sake of Christ’s pain and suffering, that God honor Jesus by granting your requests.

When you present your requests in faith, your prayers will be answered. Jesus said in Matthew 6, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8) God’s promise to you includes far more than what pertains to spiritual work among men; it covers your every personal need. He not only gives you daily forgiveness of sin, but He also provides you with daily bread.

 Nevertheless, I know that you have made requests to God the Father, in Jesus name, and added an “amen" to the end of the prayer, but your requests were not granted. You can be confident that God listens to your prayers and answers when you call on Him. There are occasions when you may think that God will not hear you because you have fallen short of His high standards for holy living. But when you trust in Christ for your salvation, God has forgiven you, and he will listen to you.

When you feel as though your prayers are not getting through, remember that as a believer, you have been set apart by God—and He loves you. He hears and answers, although His answers may not be what you expect and He may answer them in His time; not according to your timetable.

There is also a natural restriction that enters into all your requests; No believer will ask what conflicts with his own faith and status as a believer, or with the purpose and the will of his exalted Lord. He can and will ask nothing “in Jesus name” which is not covered by that name. Prayer is an opportunity to bring your will into line with God’s plan. And prayers for things that go against God’s plan and His will for your life will not be granted.

James speaks of God’s plan regarding your prayer.  He says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. 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.”

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:1-6)

Think of praying to God the same way that you would ask your mother for something.  If you are considering something that you desire, and are reluctant to ask your mother for it because you know it is not good for you, or not in the best interests of your family, then you should be not asking God the Father to grant your request either. Look at your problems in the light of God’s loving wisdom and power instead of looking at God with your own selfish interests.

Even so, Prayer is an awesome privilege. Prayer is the way you approach God, and you are to come boldly making your requests known to Him. Come before Him with reverence because He is your King. But also come with assurance because He is your Friend and Counselor. You should pray with an attitude of deep respect for God. Just as you should honor your earthly father and mother in your words and deeds, you should show that honor also to your heavenly Father when you pray and in how you live out your life. One day He will call you to your heavenly home to live with Him for all eternity.

Please remember, however that prayer is not escape from the world but rather prayer gives you strength to remain in the world to do the work God has set before you. Jesus has accomplished the hard part through His work on the cross, and you remain here to continue proclaiming His work. Jesus in His prayer to the Father said, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”  John 17:13-23)

 Jesus didn’t ask God to take believers out of the world, but instead to use them in the world to help others look to Jesus. Jesus sends you out into the world to proclaim His message of joy and peace to those who do not know Him. You and I are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), and we are to do the work that God sent us to do while it is still day before the time comes when no one can work.

But Jesus never promised His disciples that life in the world would be easy. In fact He tells you and all of His disciples that in this world you will have tribulation.  He tells you to have courage; for Jesus has won victory of death, the devil and the world. He tells you to pray and to pray often making your requests known to the Father in His name. And the Father  will answer your prayers out of His love for you to the glory and honor of His Son.

 So once again I will end with the words of Saint Paul:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:3-11)

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.