John 16:23-27 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name… I. THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH ALL PRAYER SUGGESTS. 1. One cause of these is to be found in the variations of our inner life, Our faith in the spiritual is at some moments so full of power that thoughts too large for words ascend to the Eternal in unclothed aspirations. And at other times it is so weak and dead that we doubt whether it has not altogether vanished to return no more. Thus there are times when to pray is the hardest of all tasks; when God appears to be far off. Chilled thus by the world of sense, the fire of devotion frequently appears to have almost died out, having left only cold ashes on the altar of the heart. 2. But apart from these changes of the inner life, there are two great difficulties surrounding every act of prayer. (1) Look at prayer for material blessings. If we believe that such prayer will be answered we are constantly met by the awful thought that God has ordered eternally all the circumstances of life for the best and wisest ends. Under the pressure of that fact, look at the cries of prayer — the utterances of the child of yesterday, whose life is but a span, who knows not what he really is, nor what he really wants! Can we believe that they will be answered? — that they will bring the blessings they crave? (2) Again, we know that God's love cannot be deepened. Is not God always giving? Does He need the utterance of our wants when He detects the secret desire in the heart trembling into words? II. THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN PRAYER. We shall perceive how both the difficulties we have noticed vanish before the true meaning of Christ's promise. The word "whatsoever" must be taken simply and literally. The words "in My name" must be taken as simply and literally; for they explain the "whatsoever." 1. The words "in My name" refer to the new meaning which Christ had given to prayer. (1) Men in old time had cried earnestly to God under the pressure of the struggles and doubts of life, but they could not pray in the Christian sense. To them there often seemed to be two great powers in the universe — the divine and the evil, and in their darkness they cried to Him whom they felt was true, though they understood not how. Christ came into the world to reveal what God was and to explain His plan. He showed that God was willing all good to His creatures, and overcoming all evil — that the eternal love was shining behind all the clouds of suffering and sorrow. Here, then, was a new revelation of the meaning of prayer. Men were not to pray because they hoped to change God's plan, but because God's plan was the wisest and most loving. They were not to pray with the idea of inducing God to become kind, but because He was kind. (2) Again, men in the old time were often tempted to fancy that God was far off, and cared little for their necessities; Christ revealed God as everywhere — working in every life, searching every soul. Because God knew their wants, men were to ask. Because He was love, they were to pray. To pray not with the notion of changing God's plan, but because that plan is the best. Hence we see at once that many prayers are not Christian. For instance, men ask for success: do they mean they cannot forego their desires — that they cannot confront failure? If so, can they thus pray in His name who renounced Himself, and whose career, judged by man's standard, was a mighty failure? Or do they, because they believe God is all-wise, ask to be able to bear success if it be His will it should come, and if not, to be enabled to stand failure? — that is to pray in Christ's name. Men ask for happiness: do they mean that they are afraid of sorrow — they cannot bear the Cross? If so, can they pray that prayer in the name of Him who gave up all happiness for man, who endured the Cross and the shame, who, because it was the Father's will, bore all sorrow and made it holy? Or do they mean, "enable Me to bear happiness or sorrow?" — "If it be possible let sorrow pass from Me — nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." That is to pray in Christ's name. 2. Prayer in Christ's name clears away the two great difficulties to which I have referred. (1) It brings us into harmony with God's eternal plan. I do not believe that God changes. The sceptic asks, "Does God ever stop the working of His laws to save the man who prays?" No; but a Divine influence may prepare him to receive whatever comes. (2) It prepares us to receive God's noblest gifts of love. It does not make Him more loving, but it fits us to obtain what He is willing to bestow. In the highest sense a man can only receive what he feels he needs. (E. L. Hull, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. |
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