Study in Prayer

We have been studying about the importance of praying IN JESUS NAME. This one thing can move you from wondering IF God hears your prayers to KNOWING GOD hears your prayers! Why? Because Jesus said so! Amen!

Let’s look at John 16:23-24, “And in that day, you will ask me nothing. Verily, verily I say unto you, WHATSOEVER you shall ask the Father, IN MY NAME, He will give it to you. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name. ASK and you SHALL receive, that your joy may be full.”

Focus, for just a moment, on that word, WHATSOEVER” in verse 23. Then, in the very next verse, Jesus said, “Hitherto (or, up until now), you’ve asked nothing in my name: ASK…”

Do you see that colon after NAME?  A colon means SO or SO THAT. Here, Jesus is saying, “Up until now, you’ve asked God for nothing in my name. SO - ASK!” Praise God!

He is instructing His disciples to begin praying to God the Father IN HIS NAME and when they do so, they WILL receive whatsoever they are asking God for! Amen! Do you see any limitations that Jesus is stipulating here? I don’t see any, do you?

We have already established the fact that you need to pray according the Word of God and God’s Will. So you can’t start asking for $10 million and say “In the Name of Jesus” and expect to receive it. At least for most of us. There may be someone who needs it to accomplish something the Lord has put upon them to do. But I’m talking here in general terms. Amen!

We have been reading this verse for years. But for many of us, we let the full significance of what Jesus has been teaching to slip right past us. We do that too often with the Bible. It’s time we slow down and actually see and read and understand what is written there. Don’t you agree?

Remember, you need to ask in accordance with God’s Word and God’s Will. You cannot ask for things that would violate His Word or His Will. The point I’m trying to make here is that IF you are praying scripturally based on the Word of God, you don’t need to ask, “IF it be thy will…” Why? Because if you pray according the Word of God – you already KNOW if it is God’s Will. Amen! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good!

That word WHATSOEVER means more to some people than it does others. WHATSOEVER to some people means just a little bit of something. Some people believe that WHATSOEVER in John 16:23 means whatsoever you ask for “spiritually” but not materially.

Does it say “WHATSOEVER you ask for “spiritually” or “except material things?”  NO.

The Word of God explains itself. All you have to do is three things. READ IT. BELIEVE IT.  RECEIVE IT. Amen!

Yes, it is that simple. It is man that has complicated things. Not God. Certainly not Jesus.

Let’s pray!

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We have been studying about the importance of praying IN JESUS NAME. This one thing can move you from wondering IF God hears your prayers to KNOWING GOD hears your prayers! Why? Because Jesus said so! Amen!

As we have been discussing these past few days, we are never to ask for something “in Jesus sake…” We hear too many foolish people praying “for Jesus sake…” But you cannot find even ONE example in the Bible where that phrase is mentioned!  If you find it – show me! I can’t find it…in any of my translations!

Why? Because it IS NOT for “Jesus sake” that we are praying…it is for OUR SAKE! Amen! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good! Glory to God!

There IS a difference between “praying in Jesus Name” and “praying for Jesus sake…”

The reason Jesus told us to “Ask the Father in my name” is because nobody in Heaven has more standing than Jesus! Amen! You and I definitely do not have any standing in Heaven. None. The only one we have standing before the Father’s Throne in Heaven IS Jesus! Amen!  So when we pray in His Name, we are praying “for our sake,” not His! It is ONLY because of Jesus standing in the Father’s presence that we can receive the answers to our prayers. Glory to God!

For example, if you have a stomach ache, and you pray for healing, it is for YOUR SAKE you are praying, not Jesus sake. He doesn’t have a stomach ache. Amen! YOU are the one hurting and asking for healing – not Him!

Another example, if you were hungry and needing something to eat, would your pray for your next door neighbor to receive something to eat? Or for you to have something to eat? You’d be praying for yourself, right?

Why do we think our prayers are any different? Are you starting to see the difference between praying “for the sake of Jesus” and “In the Name of Jesus?” I sure do hope so…

We need to be aware that our words DO MATTER. The devil is a legalist. He will use our own words against us. So do not give him any ground in this area. Say what you mean and mean what you say – even in your prayer life.

“Well, brother Bob, I’ve prayed that way before and God answered my prayers…”

Glory to God! His Mercy endures forever! He knows the foolishness of our ways…and overlooks that foolishness because we knew no better. But guess what? You know NOW! You’ve had the Truth (and His Word is Truth) and now it is up to you to walk in that Truth.

I’m telling you, folks, you will see more of your prayers answered when you start praying in line with God’s Word and stop praying things that are not taught in the Bible.

When you start to pray IN JESUS NAME, you will be scripturally accurate in what you are doing. That means you can start to expect – and will see – more of your prayers being answered a lot faster than you ever have in your entire life. Amen!

Just making that one adjustment, to pray IN JESUS NAME rather then “for the sake of Jesus” will make all the difference. Amen!

Let’s pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

What may surprise some Christians is that the Lord’s Prayer is not a New Covenant Prayer. Think about what we covered yesterday. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He gave them the “Lord’s Prayer” for that period of time that He was still on the earth.

You see, Jesus came to this earth and when he died on the Cross, what did He say? “It is FINISHED” (in John 19:30). That meant the OLD COVENANT was finished. Jesus then ushered in the New Covenant by His death, burial and resurrection. So Jesus gave His disciples the “Lord’s Prayer” for them to pray during the interim (between His death and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost that ushered in the New Covenant).

There are principles we can learn from the Lord’s Prayer, but technically, it is a prayer that is still prayed under the Old Covenant. We know there is no mention at all of praying in Jesus Name in the Lord’s Prayer. Isn’t that what we studied yesterday? That He told them to pray in His Name?

Don’t get me wrong, this is a beautiful prayer!  But it is a temporary prayer that Jesus taught people to pray back before the Old Covenant went out and the New Covenant came to be.  And what did Jesus teach His disciples to pray when the New Covenant came to be? To pray IN HIS NAME, remember?

John 16:23, like we studied yesterday, says, “IN THAT DAY, you shall ask me nothing. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father IN MY NAME, He will give it to you.” IN THAT DAY is pointing to the establishment of the NEW COVENANT.

At this point, Jesus had not yet died, but He was getting ready to. He was preparing His disciples for the entrance of the New Covenant. He even said so during the last supper. Amen!

The Lord’s Prayer says, “Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will be done…” The Kingdom of God has come. The New Testament and the New Covenant are proof of that. We are now living under the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant. We have the Kingdom of God in our hearts. We are born again! Amen!

I’m not saying you can’t learn something from reciting the Lord’s Prayer. And if you are in a dire situation and it is the only thing you can remember, it’s better than nothing! Praise God!

But in actuality, it is NOT a New Covenant Prayer. We need to realize that Jesus gave this prayer to His disciples towards the beginning of His ministry – not the end. At the end of His earthly ministry, He told them to pray IN HIS NAME.

And that is what we are supposed to do. Do not get caught up in traditionalism. Start reading the Bible for yourself. Amen!

I want to pray with you right now that your eyes would be open to the possibilities that exist for you when you actually start to pray the way Jesus taught us to pray under the New Covenant – IN HIS NAME. Amen!

Let’s pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

We discussed previously about praying under the New Covenant, but let’s just review a bit on the subject of New Testament praying.

Jesus spoke the words in John 16:23-24 while he was on the earth. Let’s look at this scripture.

“And in that day, you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father, in my name, He will give to you. Hitherto (or up until now), you have asked nothing in my name. Ask – and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

He was talking about the day in which we now live under the New Covenant. Jesus had not yet gone to Cavalry when He made this statement. Jesus had not yet died. Jesus had not been buried. Jesus had not yet been resurrected from the dead. 

The New Testament was not yet in force when Jesus said this because Jesus’ blood had not been carried into the Holy of Holies. Jesus’ blood IS the seal of the New Covenant. Amen!

Before He died and rose again, man had the “promise” of redemption – but had not yet received it. Eternal life had been promised, but not yet provided for. Before Jesus went to the cross, nobody had received the New Birth. Nobody. We only had the promise of it. The New Birth only became available under the New Covenant which could not be ratified and in force until after Jesus died, rose and went to Heaven. Amen.

The new birth had been foretold by prophets of old, but yet, none of them had experienced it. All of the Old Testament prophets could receive redemption from their sins, but only through the sacrificial system in place at that time, through the blood of bulls and goats, etc. These were types and shadows of the perfect sacrifice that would only come through the blood of Jesus. Under the Old Covenant, men’s hearts were never changed. That’s the reason they kept on sinning. Amen.

But, God had spoken through these old prophets that the day would come when God Himself would take the old heart out of man and give us a new heart. He said He would put a new spirit in us – praise God – He said He would put HIS SPIRIT in us!  Shout amen somebody! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good! Glory to God!

All of this becomes available ONLY under the New Covenant at the new birth. But, this new birth, the change in man’s heart or nature, was not available at all UNTIL Jesus was on the earth. Because the New Covenant was not in force until then. In fact, again, it was not available until Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Amen

So, in John 16:23, Jesus is telling His disciples HOW to pray AFTER He goes to the Cross and is raised from the dead. They were to pray TO the Father IN JESUS NAME!  Amen!

As I shared before, we are not to PRAY TO JESUS. When it comes to prayer based on legal grounds, it should be addressed TO THE FATHER – but IN THE NAME of Jesus!  Amen!  These are the instructions Jesus gave for us.

Think of it as making a legal petition to the Court. There is a certain format the petition needs to be in. There are certain things it needs to contain. If you do your petition in the appropriate manner and base your request on establish law and procedures, you will receive the petition you desire. Amen.

The same thing works in prayer. If you frame your petition in the way prescribed by your lawyer, your advocate – you will receive the petition you desire. In order to accomplish this, you need to PRAY TO THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS.  Amen.

I want to pray with you right now. I want to pray that your petitions will be granted as you pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Let’s pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

We’ve been studying from Mathew 18 these past few days. I want to remind you what Jesus said in Matthew 18:18-20, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven. And whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” Verse 19, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven.”  Verse 20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Over the last several days, we have been studying different aspects of prayer. Praying in tongues. Praying in groanings of the Holy Spirit. Praying in agreement. Praying in agreement with others. Praying in agreement with the Word of God. Praying in agreement for binding and loosing. Praying in agreement for intercession. 

I’ve shared with you about the Prayer of Faith, the Prayer of Consecration, The Prayer of Worship. We’ve talked about United Prayer. We’ve discussed the Prayer of Commitment. And, as I said, these last several sessions were on the prayer of agreement.

Each one of these prayer types have their unique place in the Body of Christ. But they all operate under different rules for different circumstances. We need to follow the Bible’s teaching regarding all these various kinds of prayers. 

I’ve referenced before that you always need to have your “basic load” of Biblical scriptures ready for anything and any situation that rises up against you. You need to KNOW that you KNOW that this scripture will work in THIS situation.

You need to know what kind of prayer and which scripture to use in that prayer, for the unique situation you find yourself. 

Just like the military commander we talked about who was facing down an enemy tank nearing his position. He would not stand out in the middle of the road and pull out his pistol and start shooting at the tank. If he did, he find out very soon that his weapon of choice was not a good one! Amen!  

But, on the same token, if he was facing down an angry man with a knife, he would not call up a tank to engage this person either. The weapon chosen must be proper for the situation being faced.

That’s how it is with your prayers and the scriptures you must have in your “basic load” ready to go. You need to know which scripture and which type of prayer to use in any given situation.

That has been my purpose in these teaching these past couple of weeks. I urge you to go back and review these past teachings on the different types of prayer and review them again. Each teaching is short so it will not take you long. Amen!

But it is a vital foundation as we move forward now in these teachings on prayer.

We need to follow the Bible’s teaching regarding all these different kinds of prayer and commit ourselves to “praying always with ALL PRAYER and supplications, in the Spirit.” That is from Ephesians 6:18. 

God wants us to understand the importance of prayer and to learn how to pray more effectively in all circumstances and to bear much fruit in our prayer life. Amen!

Let’s pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2