333 Words

333 WORDS….

Lord Jesus gave a powerful and valuable promise: If you abide in Me and My words abide in you…

Most of the Lord’s promises have conditions. The promise of J15:7 is conditional on two ifs: IF you abide in Christ and IF Christ’s words abide in you.

And now the promise: you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

WOW!!

And again, WOW!!

Lord Jesus is actually promising your prayers will be answered if the two IFS are realized. Repeat, your prayers will be granted if you meet but two conditions.

And it would be no stretch of logic to conclude that unanswered prayers – yes, prayers in accord with God’s will – are unanswered because one or both of the IFS are lacking.

So many prayers don’t make it to the throne of grace…. prayers that, if answered, would make life successful, prayers that would alleviate much distress.

So let’s look at the second condition: and My words abide in you.

Question: Do Christ’s words abide in you? Answer: Yes.

Question: Do Christ’s words abide fully in you? Answer: No.

Your answered prayers are because His words do abide in you. And your unanswered prayers are because His words abide in you insufficiently.

Your life should be a journey from insufficient to sufficient. The more sufficiently His words abide in you, the more prayers are answered.

So how does one get from insufficient to sufficient?

Well, words you don’t know, or have forgotten, cannot be abiding in you. So you know what to do…. daily read and consider and memorize the words of Christ. Get them inside you.

But more than that. You must bow to those words, believe those words, endeavor to obey those words.

And more, other words must go.

If the words of your Savior-Messiah are not abiding in you, other words are. Traditional words, false conclusions, bad teachings, etc. Those words hinder answered prayer. They have brought much misfortune and will continue to bring more.