Day 21: The All-Inclusive Condition ("If you remain in Me")

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”
(John 15:7 NIV)

Suppose you bring home a homeless child to stay in your place. One day, he comes to you with a request and you ask, “Why you come to me?” He replied, “I’ve observe your ways. I’ve been with you for many days… can you give some food for my friends too, would you give me? I remember your promise to never let the children go hungry.”

How can such a bold request ever been made?

What make that child full of confidence that you gonna grant his plea?

Because he had observed your ways, hang around with you for quiet so long, he knows that you’re kind and compassionate, and he remember your words.

So it is with our prayer, if we be in the present of God, know His will and His promises we are confident that when we ask from Him, it will be given to us. Tell me, who in the world that ever prayed and didn’t expect for an answered prayer? And if God doesn’t give what we pray for; will that make Him a liar and promise breaker? No! God will answer our prayer, “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

For a whole context of
'Abide in Christ' read John 15:4-7
[The Vine and the Branches]

However, John 15:7 included 2 conditions for us to fulfill so that God may fulfill His promise. What He is to be to us depends on what we are willing to be to Him. Here are the conditions:

1)    “If you remain in me”

2)    “…and my words remain in you.” (we will examine this on Day 22)

“If you remain in me”

Ask whatever you wish… if you remain in me (NIV), ‘you are in me all the times’ (BBE), ‘Stay joined to me’ (CEV), [‘Jikalau kamu tinggal di dalam Aku’ (TIB)]. But I prefer the New King James translation, ‘If ye abide in me’. Abide here refers to stay, remain, stand, and be present. To be united to Christ, we need to abide, stay, and remain in Him.

In the growing life of abiding in Christ, the basic need is to believe. And added to that, faith and obedience would be essentials to continue abide in Him. Andrew Murray writes, “Obedience (in keeping God’s commandments) and faith (in the Son of God) must go together. But faith can’t simply be added to obedience; it must be revealed in obedience. Faith is obedience at home, looking to the Master; obedience is faith going out to do His will.” (Italic mine)

Are you abiding in Christ now? Are your prayer based in union with Jesus?

Let the words of Oswald Chambers challenge you to live a life abiding in Him;

“Think of the things that take you out of abiding in Christ – Yes, Lord, just a minute, I have got this to do; Yes, I will abide when once this is finished; when this week is over, it will be alright, I will abide then. Get a move on; begin to abide now. In the initial stages it is a continual effort until it becomes so much the law of life that you abide in Him consciously. Determine to abide in Jesus wherever you are placed.”(My Utmost for His Highest) 

 Lord, teach us to pray.