Have you ever asked God for something in prayer and not gotten it?

I love giving things to my kids. I like giving them gifts and making their favorite foods. However, I also know that I need to limit these things for their own sake, so they don’t become spoiled or have health issues. If I offered my son pizza and ice cream every day 3 meals a day, he’d probably be OK with that (Hey, I’d like to join him in that), but I don’t do that because I know it isn’t really showing him love. He needs protein and veggies, even if they aren’t his favorite.

God loves giving us things, too; but are there limits there as well? In fact, God is much better and knowing what we need and when than any parent.

You may have come across our Bible verses for today before and wondered what Jesus meant or maybe you thought you’d hit the jackpot.

“Wait, What? I can just ask for anything I want and as long as I say, ‘In Jesus Name’ I’ll get it?!”

Score!

Some people (even famous preachers) have suggested that Jesus is saying that if we believe in Him we can simply ask Him for anything and, as long as we add “in Jesus name” to the end of the prayer, Jesus will give it to us. “Name it and claim it.”  But is that really what Jesus is saying? If we go back one verse we find Jesus saying this:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. -John 14:12

Jesus isn’t giving a secret, magic phrase to get whatever we want.

What if we ask for something which, in the end, would harm us or lead us away from Him? What if we ask for God to harm someone else who angered us? God isn’t our personal genie, nor does He want to give us things that would harm us or others. In fact, the “name it and claim it” leaders usually add the caveat, “if you have enough faith,” because they know you aren’t going to get everything you ask for so they need an excuse.

What Jesus is saying is that as we believe and follow Him, He is there with us. He will provide for us. As we live and act in His name (as His people), “do[ing] the works [He] had been doing,” we can ask Him to help and to provide for us, and He will give that help and providence.

Sometimes we feel like we shouldn’t ask God for help.

After all, He’s already done so much for us, and we really don’t deserve it. And when we do ask for things, we try to make them “reasonable” or keep them small.

Jesus is telling us that we shouldn’t be shy in asking God to help in all aspects of our lives and our ministry according to His good and loving will. In fact, He will give much more than we ask that it may bring glory to the Father. In other words, what Jesus is really telling us here, isn’t we can get whatever we want, but rather, there’s nothing He can’t give. Nothing is impossible for God.

Prayer is incredibly powerful both in what God promises to do and in what it does to us. I want to encourage you in your prayer life. So, over the next few devotions, we’re going to explore prayer. I hope you’ll join us each day.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

I can’t do this without You. Please be with me today. Please guide me and lead me. Please forgive me and keep me from sin. Remind me of Your promises. Work in me to bring You honor and glory today through my words and actions that others may Glorify Your Name. Please give me everyhig I need for life and salvation. May Thy will be done. I pray this as one marked in Your name.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.