Theme Scripture: John 15:7
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Abiding has the connotation of dwelling. Psalms 91:1 says; He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Every time I read John15:7, my attention is immediately drawn to the words, “and it will be done for you.” That’s an awesome promise! I want God to do whatever I ask, don’t you?
A conditional promise…
Jesus said, “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” This is a great promise, but it is a conditional promise. Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you” (emphasis added). God will answer our request if we abide in Jesus and if his words abide in us. Our challenge is to actually abide in Jesus. Abiding is not a one-time thing. It is a process. A long process. Bearing fruit is not like taking a trip to the grocery store. It takes months and seasons and years. It takes time but the results are worth it: “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Abiding means growing in our relationship with Jesus through knowledge and obedience. As we get to know him through daily Bible reading and meditating and prayer, we understand God and his ways for us through Jesus. We obey what God reveals to us in the Bible and experience grace and increased faith as we do so. Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (John 15:10). When we do what Jesus told us to do, abiding takes place. It is a simple plan, but its effects are eternally satisfying. Abiding will never get old!
As we learn to abide, we will find that whatever we wish will look a lot more like God’s will for us. And his will be done. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
In Matthew chapter 28:19, Jesus commanded His disciples and said; “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations”. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). That is a part of bearing fruit as well as the fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. If people see you bearing this kind of fruit as stated in Galatians5:22, they will be drawn to you and you can easily win them to the Lord.
Abide, bear fruit, ask and It will be done for you
The vine and the branches
In John 15 starting from verses 1, Jesus used the illustration of a vine to describe his relationship with his disciples. A vine nourishes and supports the branches. It gives them life and helps them to bear fruit. The branches are attached to the vine and remain in the vine—they “abide” in the vine. If they are removed from the vine they stop growing and bearing fruit. If they stop bearing fruit, they are pruned away to make room for branches that are bearing fruit.
Jesus said that he is the true vine. His followers are the branches. His followers will only grow and bear fruit if they “abide” in him. Bearing fruit was a big deal to Jesus. In one parable he described seed thrown on various types of soil. The only good soils were the ones that “bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:20). Bearing fruit is more than just developing godly character. For the follower of Jesus, bearing fruit means reproducing more followers of Jesus!
What does all this “bearing fruit” talk have to do with receiving whatever we ask from God? Everything! Many people place the emphasis on faith mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 and that is important BUT we need first to remain in the vine if we were to continue walking in God kind of faith.
In summary, the secret to answered prayer is “ABIDING IN CHRIST JESUS” I LIKE TO CALL IT PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD. WALKING WITH GOD. HAVING SUCH AN AWESOME RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER SUCH THAT ANYTIME YOU WANT SOMETHING, IT IS MADE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR YOU…. GLORY!
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