Which phrase of the Bible verse printed above leaps out at you? Maybe it’s the part about asking whatever you wish. Now those are words from the Lord we all like to hear, right? Doesn’t that begin to characterize the God we like to think of… our supreme ruler hearing our cries and answering by giving whatever we wish? Thank goodness that is not an accurate depiction of our God. He knows our desires, and He knows what is best for us.
The two are not always the same.


Look at the “If” part of the verse. If we remain in Him and His words stay in us… So is it just some sort of simple exchange where we abide in Him and then we get the answer to prayer that we want? If only we could truly abide in Christ, know and embrace His words fully. Our sinful tendencies always get in the way. Some of our hopes just feel too large to even pray. As we do come closer to abiding in Him, we see that the ultimate prayer of “yes” in Jesus will always be true.


Answers to our specific prayers may be “no.” But we can live at peace with every answer
that comes.