40 Days of PRAYER
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 27 | OUR PRAYERS AND THE VINE | John 15:16
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 27 | OUR PRAYERS AND THE VINE | John 15:16
OUR PRAYERS AND THE VINE
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (NIV)
When we’re children, we ask our parents for things, and generally, the younger we are, the more inappropriate our requests are. Not our fault; we just don’t know any better yet.
So, when we come to Christ and learn about prayer, we often start our prayer lives by asking for the wrong things too.
Thus, when we come to a verse like this and read: “…so whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you,” we think we’ve discovered the “magic genie verse,” and we can just start asking away!
Well, not so fast, pilgrim.
This verse is part of a fantastic teaching by Jesus (read from John 15:1 down to this verse) about us being connected to the Vine and bearing fruit. So – and this is a good instruction on how to read the Bible effectively – we need to take this verse “in context.” Meaning, it’s not a stand-alone verse, but part of the more extensive teaching Jesus was doing with His followers.
Is the Lord teaching us that we are to bear fruit? Yes!
Is He also teaching that when we are connected to the Vine and bearing fruit, that THEN we can ask the Father – in Jesus name – and He will give it to us? Yes!
But catch the conditional requirement… the preceding verses John 15:1-17.
Our Heavenly Father wants to pour His love and supply on His children, but like any good parent, He won’t respond to frivolous requests of baby Christians who are not praying in line with His will. And that starts with us learning how to abide in the Vine truly.
Prayer: LORD, teach me more about how I can live my life, abide in You and therefore position myself to make wise requests of You – which then you can answer. Amen.
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (NIV)
When we’re children, we ask our parents for things, and generally, the younger we are, the more inappropriate our requests are. Not our fault; we just don’t know any better yet.
So, when we come to Christ and learn about prayer, we often start our prayer lives by asking for the wrong things too.
Thus, when we come to a verse like this and read: “…so whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you,” we think we’ve discovered the “magic genie verse,” and we can just start asking away!
Well, not so fast, pilgrim.
This verse is part of a fantastic teaching by Jesus (read from John 15:1 down to this verse) about us being connected to the Vine and bearing fruit. So – and this is a good instruction on how to read the Bible effectively – we need to take this verse “in context.” Meaning, it’s not a stand-alone verse, but part of the more extensive teaching Jesus was doing with His followers.
Is the Lord teaching us that we are to bear fruit? Yes!
Is He also teaching that when we are connected to the Vine and bearing fruit, that THEN we can ask the Father – in Jesus name – and He will give it to us? Yes!
But catch the conditional requirement… the preceding verses John 15:1-17.
Our Heavenly Father wants to pour His love and supply on His children, but like any good parent, He won’t respond to frivolous requests of baby Christians who are not praying in line with His will. And that starts with us learning how to abide in the Vine truly.
Prayer: LORD, teach me more about how I can live my life, abide in You and therefore position myself to make wise requests of You – which then you can answer. Amen.