Ask What You Desire

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit." (1)

The promise here is to those who are spiritually connected with Jesus, those who abide in Him and His words abide in them. It does not imply that our requests will be honored for selfish gain. James said, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (2)

John gives further clarification, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (3) When we ask for what we know is according to His will, we can be confident that it has been granted. What a promise! This promise belongs to each of us personally. If we have a besetting behavior that plagues us, and we know that it is according to God's will that we overcome that behavior, Then we can know with confidence that our prayers to overcome that behavior has been answered affirmatively.

Jesus had much to say about prayer promises. "Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (4) "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (5)

These are powerful promises. Be careful what you ask for. Jesus added a clarification, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." (6)

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." (7)

1. John 15:7, 8.
2. James 4:3.
3. 1 John 5:14, 15.
4. John 14:13, 14.
5. Mark 11:22-24.
6. Mark 11:25, 26.
7. John 15:16.