Ask In His Name

 

 John 16:23b-28

Ask And You Shall Receive

²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

²⁵ “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

All of us have needs and a good many of us bring them to God daily; sometimes these prayers are answered just the way we want, but many times, it seems these prayers go unheeded.  Not so, "Ask and you shall receive and your joy will be complete." (Jn 16: 24) When it seems that our prayer was not answered, it's because God's answer is different from what we are asking for, from what we expect.  God knows our needs better than we and gives us what he knows is best for us. When we seek healing and are not healed right away, we might instead receive the gift of patience, the gift of having something to offer for others in union with the pain and sacrifices Jesus endured. The answer to our prayer might not always be what we want, but what is best for us at this time.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, open my heart, trusting in your great love, to receive what you know is the best answer to my prayer at this time. Amen.