Did Jesus Promise to Do Whatever Christians Ask?

Many people misinterpret Jesus’ statements concerning His promise to do whatever Christians ask of Him. Jesus told His disciples, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (Jn. 14:13–14; cf. Mt. 7:7–8; 21:22). How should we understand these important declarations?

Jesus is not a vending machine who dispenses whatever Christians want regardless of what they ask. That is not what the Lord meant. We must read the entire chapter in which each statement is found to understand its context. When people take texts out of context, they twist Scripture’s true meaning into something entirely different. False doctrine and cults develop when people distort God’s Word.

We must pray in Jesus’ name—submitting to His authority, which lines up with God’s will. Praying through Jesus is the only way to approach God the Father (Jn. 14:6). To ask anything in Jesus’ name means to ask Him for things that fulfill God’s will. Thus, what we pray in Jesus’ name must bring glory and honor to Him and the Father.

Some Christians offer thoughtless, self-seeking, unwise prayers or prayers designed to fulfill a craving detrimental to their spiritual lives. God does not answer such prayers because they are asked “amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jas. 4:3).

Jesus knows what we need, whether large or small, and when we need it. When we commit to Christ, seek His Kingdom and righteousness (Mt. 6:33), and want to act according to His will, God answers our prayers according to what is best for us. The key to answered prayer is living a life that glorifies the Lord.

God’s answer might come immediately or years later. It may even come after we are with the Lord in heaven. But God hears and responds to every prayer offered in Jesus’ name. George Müller, a great evangelist who ran an orphanage in Bristol, England, in the 1800s, prayed for the salvation of a friend for 50 years and was already in heaven when his friend accepted Christ.

Christians can go to God in prayer with absolute confidence based on their union and intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 5:14–15). We can ask God at any time for anything according to His will and purpose. Therefore, come in faith, in Jesus’ name, desiring God’s will, with a request that will glorify God.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

Answering the Call

Two millennia ago, God sent His Son, Jesus, on a mission of redemption that Jesus successfully completed on the cross at Calvary...

John the Baptist: His Purpose and Passion

In 1906, a new land-speed record of 127 miles per hour was set by Fred Marriott on Ormond Beach in Daytona, Florida...

Jesus & John

John the Baptist is one of the strangest, most unusual, and most interesting people found in the pages of the Bible. From the predicted forerunner of the...

Speaking Truth to Power

Celebrated Jewish cartoonist Bob Mankoff once said in an interview, “I know everybody wants humor to be subversive and...

The Greatest Messenger

For 400 years, Israel had not heard a word from God. From Moses (ca. 1400 BC) to Malachi (ca. 400 BC), God sent...

The Death of John the Baptist

The wine flowed freely throughout the lavish banquet hall. The occasion was the pagan birthday celebration of Herod Antipas...


Share Your Story.
Has God used The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in your life? Share your story with us!
 

Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$59.99 every 3 years