"Ask And Abide"

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7

There is a wonderful promise in this verse -- you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.  But there is a condition attached to it-- if you abide in the Lord and His words abide in you, then you can ask and receive. 

Asking whatever you will is not a "blank check" as so many people think.  They think all they have to do is ask the Lord for anything and everything their heart desires and He will automatically give it to them.  Not so. 

You can't just read the word, visit the word from time to time, listen to it only in church or grab out a scripture in time of need and expect to have what you are asking for granted.  You have to be "living" in it.  Or yet still, it has to be living in you.  Then you can ask and it will be given.  Because you will know what to ask for according to His will and not your own selfish- fleshly desires.  Abiding in the word and the word abiding in you separates the difference between the two.  You have the promise of receiving because if the word is abiding in you, then you won't be asking anything that is outside of God's will.  You will know what is acceptable to Him because the word that is in you will let you know.  When it does, and you pray according, your prayers will be answered because they are now His desires you are praying.  Therefore, you won't be asking amiss.

So many people are unsure about what God's will is when they pray.  If you are abiding in the word and the word is abiding in you, it will tell you what is and isn't the will of God.

I hope this is making sense.  You can have complete and total assurance of answered prayer when you are praying according to His will.  And you will be praying according to His will when His word is living in you and you are living in it because you will know whether you are or not. 

Have a great day.  Abide in the word and let it abide in you and you shall have what you ask.