John 14:13-14

On the face of, it this sounds like Jesus is writing us a blank cheque. If you hadn’t read anything else from the Bible, this passage might give you the impression that we can come to God and ask for whatever we want. Request a jet aeroplane, the latest electric car, the biggest house in the area or a guaranteed income for life and it will be yours on a plate! But, mercifully, that is not what Jesus was talking about. I say mercifully because if God were willing to do whatever our selfishness dictated, we would soon transform our lives into a living hell. We would be fully in control and God would be pushed out. And that’s never good.

Jesus was describing to his disciples what it is like to live in obedience to him. As they followed him, they would be doing the work of God, with his full authority. They wouldn’t be thrust out into the world all by themselves but, as they were soon to learn, they would have the power of the Holy Spirit. They would, therefore, be able to pray with confidence to the Father knowing that, as they worked for the coming of his kingdom, great miracles would happen.

People often ask what prayer is all about. In essence, it is about us declaring our willingness to be partners with God in all that he is seeking to achieve in this world. In prayer we commit ourselves to God’s will happening here on earth as it is in heaven. It is, therefore, the complete opposite of the selfish prayers which I mentioned above. In prayer, we deliberately turn our back on our own advancement and success and commit ourselves to working in the name of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to achieve God’s will on earth.

QUESTION
How would you describe prayer to somebody who knows nothing about it?

PRAYER
Lord God, help me to live and work for the coming of your kingdom today. Amen

Released on 2 Aug 2023