“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1 NASB. In order to have this assurance and conviction, we must be in Jesus, for in Him is the kingdom of God, and no flesh is allowed in the kingdom of God, only those who put away the flesh and its worldly desires, and put on Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, can partake of the delicacies of the kingdom of God. For this reason Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” “If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples,” John 15:4-5; 7-8.
Abiding in Jesus we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be done for us. ”And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him,” 1 John 5:14-15. Those who abide in Jesus have forsaken themselves and seek not their own will, but the will of God. Therefore, they have the assurance of what they hope for, and the conviction of what they cannot see, for God hears prayers that are in accordance to His will, and, because He hears them, He answers them.
If we ask and do not receive, it is because we ask with wrong motives, so that we may spend it on our own pleasures, James 4:3. So we must most definitely lose sight of ourselves and abide in Jesus, praying for things that are in accordance with God’s will, so that our prayers will be heard, and that we will receive what we have asked for.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
jondavidbanks.com 