By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

John 15: 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”.

Jesus Christ provides us with a clear and unwavering promise. Unfortunately, many Christians neglect the importance of delving into the scriptures to learn and comprehend what they reveal about prayer. This lack of study and understanding may lead believers astray in their prayer life. Instead of following the crowd or popular figures, we should adhere to the practices prescribed by the scripture to ensure our prayers are in alignment with God’s will.

Here is an example that every Christian should follow, which is found in Acts 17:10-11 (NKJV). In these verses, Paul and Silas were sent to Berea, and they visited a synagogue. The people in Berea were commended for being fair-minded because they not only received the word readily but also diligently searched the scriptures daily to confirm the truth of what they heard.
The bible serves as our guiding light in every aspect of life, as mentioned in Psalm 119:105 (NLT), which states, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

When it comes to praying correctly and effectively, our Lord Jesus emphasized two essential conditions for consistently having our prayers answered in John 15:7. First, we must abide in Him. Second, His words must abide in us. When these two conditions are met, we are fully prepared to pray and receive answers to our prayers.

IF YOU ABIDE IN HIM: What does it mean to abide in Him, and how do we achieve this? Here are some definitions from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Noah Webster Dictionary:
Abide is an old English word that means to progressively “await,” “remain,” “lodge,” “sojourn,” “dwell,” “continue,” and “endure.” It also means to bear patiently.

From the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary:

• “To rest or dwell” (e.g., Genesis 29:19).
• “To tarry or stay for a short time” (e.g., Genesis 24:55).
• “To continue permanently or in the same state” (e.g., Psalm 119:90).
• “To remain, to continue” (e.g., Acts 27:31, Ecclesiastes 8:15).

In essence, to abide in Him means to await, remain, dwell, continue, and endure in His presence.
To put it simply, this condition signifies that His words should remain within us. Abiding in Him and having His words abide in us means:
Waiting patiently and trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness: This involves unwavering faith in the Lord. Hebrews 10:36-38, emphasizes the need for patience after doing God’s will to receive His promises. We should trust in Jesus, the guarantor of all God’s promises. Our confidence in prayer should rest in the Lord Jesus, who secures all the blessings of the covenant for us. We possess a “prepaid card” in His name, entitled to everything He has secured for us. It is crucial to resist the temptation to place our trust in ourselves or in anyone. Our faith should be solely in the Lord Jesus.

Let us explore an example in the Bible. The passage in Luke 18:9-14 offers an illustrative story. It tells of two individuals who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee who trusted in his self-righteousness and looked down on others. The other, a publican, stood humbly, acknowledging his sinfulness, and seeking God’s mercy. The lesson is clear: those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while the humble will be exalted.
Jeremiah 17: 5-8 is a reminder for us to trust no one but God. It explains that those who put their trust in fellow humans and rely on their own strength while turning away from the Lord are likened to a heath in the desert. They are unable to recognize good when it comes and live in parched, desolate places. On the contrary, those who trust in the Lord and make Him their hope are compared to trees planted near water sources. They spread their roots by the river and remain unaffected by heat or drought, continually bearing fruit.

We should heed those who guide us towards Jesus rather than themselves, as exemplified by Peter in Acts 3:12-13. When Peter and John were confronted by people who marveled at their ability to heal a man, Peter immediately clarified that it wasn’t their own power or holiness that had performed this miracle. He directed the people’s focus to the God of their ancestors, glorifying His Son, Jesus, and emphasizing the importance of faith in Him. This shows the type of individuals we should listen to – those who lead us to Jesus.

Now, let’s explore the second condition for praying successfully:

IF MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU: Here we easily see the context in which the word abide is used aligns with to sojourn, dwell, continue…These Scriptures capture the meaning very well.

Prov 4:20-23 “My son, give attention to my words;Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them,And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all
diligence,For out of it spring the issues of life.”

Col 3:16“Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts!”

To enhance the effectiveness of our prayers, we must search for Scriptures that pertain to the specific issue we are praying about. By meditating on these verses, our faith is strengthened, making us better positioned to receive what we ask for. In essence, we need to find God’s promises that reveal our privileges in Christ concerning our prayers.

As we immerse ourselves in these Scriptures, we should do so until they become an integral part of our thinking and beliefs. These promises need to be ingrained in our hearts, becoming an unquestionable truth. This process of meditation builds our faith, enabling us to receive the answers to our prayers.
It’s important to note that these promises are not mere pledges; they are accomplished realities. The Bible, in 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT), affirms that all of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” Through Christ, our “Amen” ascends to God, bringing glory.

These promises are to be embraced with faith and thoroughly enjoyed. Let’s take a look at some of these promises that assure us of access to God through Christ, our Great High Priest, who advocates for us before the Father with His atoning blood.
Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT) portrays Jesus as a High Priest who understands our weaknesses and has faced similar tests, yet He remained sinless. As a result, we are encouraged to approach the throne of our gracious God with boldness, where we receive His mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need. This access is granted to us through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Remember that prayer is communication with God, a two-way conversation between the Father and us, His children. it is a means of fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. As 2 Corinthians 13:14 beautifully states, it encompasses “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.”
In the context of prayer, “communion” denotes the exchange of intimate thoughts and feelings, particularly on a mental or spiritual level. It raises the important question of whether we truly experience this deep connection with the Holy Spirit, our guide, comforter, standby, and teacher. Do we share our innermost thoughts with Him, whether at work, in the mall, or at home?

The very purpose of prayer is to establish the divine will of God in our lives, for others, and even nations. As 1 John 5:14 says, our confidence in prayer arises when we align our requests with God’s will, knowing that He hears us. God’s actions are consistently based on His purpose, and not our human desires and intentions. Everything operates according to the counsel of His will.
Eph 1:11 “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will”.

Faith is integral to effective prayer. James 1:6-7 underscores the significance of asking in faith, for doubt is like a wave driven by the wind. A wavering individual should not anticipate receiving anything from the Lord.
James 1:6-7 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he
shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

The faith the receives is rooted in the Word of God, primarily found in the Gospel of our Lord.
Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, that is hearing the Good News about Christ.” So it is essential that God’s Word remains within us, as it is the wellspring of faith.

This is the blueprint for receiving from God, especially concerning our personal needs and desires. Mark 11:24 reassures us that through prayer and unwavering belief, we can obtain what we ask for. To succeed, it is crucial to hear and internalize the teachings of our Lord.
In essence, effective prayer entails abiding in God and allowing His Word to dwell within us, followed by making requests in alignment with His will, firmly rooted in faith.
So first, we abide in Him, then His words abide in us, not another word but His own alone. Then ask what you will and you will have them.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of The Living Word Church East Orange, New Jersey.