WHATEVER
YOU ASK
Christ’s
Intimate Teaching on Prayer
Within our
Lord’s final conversation with His disciples He inserts six (6) promises
regarding prayer. They are found in John 14:13-14; 15:7; 15:16; 16:23; 16:24; and 16:26-27.
This final and very intimate conversation that Jesus has with His Disciples is a place where He teaches them about the significance of His upcoming death, resurrection, and exaltation, as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit. His frank conversation is to prepare them for what lies ahead (“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”” (John 16:33, ESV)). It is in this context that He teaches them about prayer. The first instruction comes in Chapter 14, verses 13-14.
This final and very intimate conversation that Jesus has with His Disciples is a place where He teaches them about the significance of His upcoming death, resurrection, and exaltation, as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit. His frank conversation is to prepare them for what lies ahead (“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”” (John 16:33, ESV)). It is in this context that He teaches them about prayer. The first instruction comes in Chapter 14, verses 13-14.
I – GLOBAL PRAYER
(John 14:13-14)
Having identified the betrayer in the group and showing by
example how the disciples ought to love one another in mutual service, Jesus
again announces his departure. He tells his disciples that he is going to the
Father and others will join him if they come to the Father, through him. It is in this context that he reiterates that
he and the Father are one and that his works here on earth ought to lead
someone to that conclusion. And then he
says, ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the
works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to
the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son” (John 14:12–13, ESV).
An analysis of this statement would lead the reader to see
that Christ makes a promise that those who have faith in him will not only do
the works he did, but greater works. And
the ground or the basis of this taking place is because Jesus is going to the
Father. When the disciple asks for something in Christ’s name, it will be
done. The purpose of the answered prayer
is the glory of Christ.
The controlling keys to this seemingly amazing promise of
answered prayer rest upon:
a.
The intercessory ministry of Christ in his priestly
session in Heaven;
b.
The prayer is offered “in his name”; and
c.
The resultant glory of the Son.
All things being equal, what are these greater works that
are promised. What can be greater than
raising a dead Lazarus or healing a blind man?
I would reject that Jesus meant that his disciples would do more works (i.e.,
quantity) nor do I suggest that he means more spectacular works (i.e.,
quality). The greater works are
conditioned on the heavenly seating of Jesus and by inference the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal coming
of the Spirit was unique in that “all flesh” (Acts 2:17f) were impacted. The Pentecostal
coming of the Spirit was “harvest” related, sending the Gospel beyond the
nation of Israel, into the whole world. I
argue that this promise of Jesus reflected the greater geographical span of
ministry. I concur with the ESV Study Bible notes which state:
“These “greater works”
include evangelism, teaching, and deeds of mercy and compassion—in short, the
entire ministry of the church to the entire world, beginning from Pentecost.
(E.g., on the day of Pentecost alone, more believers were added to Jesus’
followers than during his entire earthly ministry up to that time; cf. Acts
2:41.) These works are “greater” not because they are more amazing miracles but
because they will be greater in their worldwide scope and will result in the
transformation of individual lives and of whole cultures and societies.”[1]
To pray in Jesus name reminds us to pray in agreement with
the will of Jesus, resulting in the glory of Jesus. So, this isn’t a prayer promise that we can
ask anything we want and will get it.
But it is a mammoth encouragement that as we pray for global ministry
and missions, in accordance with Christ’s will, it will be done. Although this intercession seems simple, surrounded
with a precious promise, we must be very clear about the will of Christ for the
nations. This promise reminds us to pray evangelistically but Biblically. It is only prayer “in Christ’s name”
(according to his will) that will be answered.
This is prayer that will always bring glory to the Father and the Son. “So to
pray in Jesus’ name means to pray in union with who and what he is, to pray in
accordance with his will. Self-centered prayers are not answered (Jas 4:3).[2]
Praying in the name of Christ is practically praying as the
Word of God teaches us. By praying what
the New Testament teaches us, it keeps us from false and idiosyncratic motives
and keeps us on solid ground. Let me suggest a few ways to pray for global
missions:
1)
Pray that within the context of our ministry and
mission endeavors we do all things regarding the holy character of God. “Pray
then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew
6:9, ESV)
2)
Pray that God’s kingdom would come. (Matthew
6:10)
3)
Pray that God would bring success to the good
intentions and ministries serving in true faith to the glory of God. (“To this end we always pray for you, that
our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for
good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus
may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and
the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, ESV).
4)
Pray that God will open the door to the Gospel
in all the nations. (“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open
to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of
which I am in prison—” (Colossians 4:3, ESV)
5)
Pray for more workers in Christian ministry, both
at home and around the world. (Matthew 9:38).
Of course, these 5 prayer requests are only a sampling of a
plethora of examples in the New Testament.
But let us be encouraged as John Piper writes in this article: “Prayer
remains one of the great and glorious mysteries of the universe — that the
all-knowing, all-wise, all-sovereign God should ordain to run his world in
response to our prayers is mind-boggling. But that is the uniform witness of
Scripture. God hears and answers the prayers of his people.”[3]
[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible
(p. 2053). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] Osborne, G. R. (2018). John: Verse by
Verse. (J. Reimer, E. Ritzema, D. Thevenaz, & R. Brant,
Eds.) (p. 341). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
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