John 15:7,16 Anything I Ask....Anything?

But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. (John 15:7, 16 NLT)

Observation:

This is a conditional sentence, with the conditions being expressed in the first two clauses. The first condition is abiding in Christ, the second having His words abiding in us as well. Then in verse 16, Christ elaborates that we are also in a state of perpetual fruit bearing when we are making requests of the Father.

What we “wish” for will be conditioned upon our continuously abiding in Christ, and upon the impact His word has in changing our hearts, our minds, and our priorities and bearing fruit in our lives. John the Apostle, who recorded these words in John 15, provides us with his understanding of them when he writes in 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” We know the will of Christ by abiding in Him and having His word abiding in us.

But the promise then is, if we are abiding in Him, and His word abides in us, He shall grant the desires of our hearts! This is not a blank check with which we force God to do this or that. Instead, it is a promise that God will fulfill His work within us. That is, if we ask, “God, make me holy” He will do just that. If we pray “God, make me like Christ,” and that is our desire, He will do it. To even consider the idea that this means we can say, “God, give me more of the things of the world so I can be happier” is to completely miss the context in which these words were spoken. 

Application:

I'm trying to let these scriptures make a bigger impact on my heart. In doing this in-depth study of John I'm surprised by how many times Christ tells the believer to ask in His name. Yet when I pray, I just sign Jesus's name to the end of my prayer without even thinking about it.  There is more He wants me to do with this promise, but it starts with my heart motive. Am I looking out for my own happiness, or the will and glory of God? Sad to say there is still a lot of work to be done in my heart. But I want to go deeper, be transformed into His likeness, and this is a request that He will grant.

Prayer

Father, make me like You. Search my heart and cleanse me of my unrighteousness. Align my thoughts and heart with Yours. I want to know and stand in the depth of this promise. In Jesus name, Amen.