Read John 16:23-28
Does This Mean I Can Get A Ferrari?
In John 16:23-24, 26 Jesus says some very powerful and confusing words. [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. [26] In that day you will ASK IN MY NAME. ….
What was the reason for Jesus making these comments? Was he giving us a “blank check” for a new Ferrari or are we now to believe there’s no such thing as an unanswered prayer from our standpoint?
In John 16, Jesus is giving his “Farewell Discourse.” He’s about to leave the disciples, and they are terrified. Jesus wants them to know that God loves them and they have direct access to the father in order to ask for anything in Jesus name.
Three times Jesus said, “In My Name.” To ask in the name of Jesus means:
1. Asking for something under his authority and not your own authority. It means you want what he wants.
2. Asking in Jesus’ name means asking for things that reflect his character, his mission, and his will. I like this example someone shared with me: It’s like a corporate vice president using the company credit card—they can “ask for anything,” but it has to be for the company’s purposes, not a personal jet.
3. In essence, your request needs to be connected to the “Heart of God.” 1 John 5:14-15, says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to HIS WILL, he hears us.” The “ask anything” isn’t a promise for a Ferrari; it’s a promise for that which enhances the Kingdom—for peace, for wisdom, for the fruit of the Spirit, for the needs of the ministry. In reality it’s all about having access to all that God offers from heaven to Earth in building his kingdom.
Let’s get excited to do the work of God!
