In preparation for his departure, Jesus taught His disciples to ask the Father for what they need.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
Definition of Abide (According to Strong’s Concordance): to remain, abide, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be held, kept, continually.
The word abiding is about remaining present and staying in a close relationship. The above scripture comes from the same discourse where Jesus told His disciples that they were no longer his servants but his friends. Jesus was giving them the permission to ask for what they needed. He stated that the condition for asking had to do with abiding in their relationship to God.
When you have good friends, it’s not laborious to be close to them and to spend endless hours with them. After a while you find that you like similar clothes, shoes, or bags, and you watch similar shows. No one forced you to do it, but just the mutual love and admiration leads people to enjoy doing similar things.
Similarly, when we remain present in our relationship with the Lord, we are not doing it because we want something from Him, but because we desire His presence and the assurance of His love in our lives. This intimate relationship, helps us to see the world around us differently, and it changes our priorities. Those carnal issues are not as important as they used to be. We are more in tune with God’s desires, and they become our desires.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
When issues come up that we need God’s intervention, the scripture tells us that we have the assurance that God hears us and cares about our need. A close and abiding relationship with the Lord allows us to approach his throne of grace boldly. We have the confidence that we will receive mercy and grace in our time of need. Jesus said that God will respond to our prayers, and He gave us the permission and the invitation to ask!
People wonder why some prayers don’t get answered. The scripture provides us with insight. I will share on this subject in the next devotional.
