“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
This text is one of the great promises in the Scriptures about prayer. Now, this is not a blank check from God to believers, but don’t underestimate this promise. There are two conditions that precede the promise. If I abide (live, dwell with, remain) in Christ and his words abide in me, I can ask whatever I wish and it will be done. Other texts in the Scripture refer to the necessity of praying according to Christ’s will. I have found that by abiding in Christ (Andrew Murray’s book, Abide in Christ, is helpful) and focusing my attention on God’s Word (filling my life with it) leads me to the biblical concept of putting on the mind of Christ. This process helps me to pray according to the will of the Lord because his presence and his words guide me to know his will.
For many of us, the primary problem with prayer is that we do not practice it. Even when we do, we find ourselves saying the same old words about the same old things. We become bored with our prayers and don’t feel like praying. Soon we abandon the work of genuine prayer. But the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer will not allow us to be comfortable in our prayerlessness. We blame ourselves and feel like second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. As Don Whitney states, “The problem is not you; it is your method” [See Donald S. Whitney, Praying the Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 12].
All of us pray for and about our families, finances, vocation, studies, people who need Christ, the needs of our church and ministries, Christian cultural concerns, and the current crisis we face. That’s only natural. The problem is not that we pray for the same things, but with the method we use in prayer. Whitney and others argue that we should use the Scriptures as our guide in praying for these needs. For example, Psalm 1 contrasts the ways of the wicked with the way of the righteous. This text helped me focus on the need to seek godly counsel related to all the issues of my life (my family, finances, the crisis I am facing, etc.). I need relationships with people who do not know Christ. These friendships challenge and encourage me in my walk with Christ. They also provide opportunities to share the gospel. But my closest and most influential advisors must be followers of Christ. It is through godly counsel that I make the best decisions.
Are you satisfied with your prayer life? If so, I rejoice with you. If not, ask the Lord to show you how to use his Word to strengthen your prayer life. My prayers are with you.
