Abiding in His Word and Prayer

John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

Jesus connected the principle of abiding to two ideas previously mentioned in this upper room talk.

· My words abide in you: Jesus connected abiding to the idea of faithfulness to His words, as previously mentioned in John 14:23-24.

· You will ask what you desire: Jesus connected abiding to the idea of answered prayer, as previously mentioned in John 14:13-14.

Charles Spurgeon notes, “Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus… Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus.”

Abiding in Jesus means abiding in His words, and having His words live in the disciple.

Merrill C. Tenney explains, “The connection is maintained by obedience and prayer. To remain in Christ and to allow His words to remain in oneself means a conscious acceptance of the authority of His word and a constant contact with Him by prayer.”

The faithful, abiding disciple should expect answered prayer as part of their relationship with Jesus. A failure to see prayer answered means something is not right in the disciple’s relationship. Perhaps something is not right in the abiding, and prayers are amiss and unanswered. Perhaps something is not right in the asking and there is no perception of what Jesus wants to do in and through His disciple.

Charles Spurgeon comments on this verse, “It becomes safe for God to say to the sanctified soul, ‘Ask what thou wilt, and it shall be done unto thee.’ The heavenly instincts of that man lead him right; the grace that is within his soul thrusts down all covetous lustings and foul desires, and his will is the actual shadow of God’s will. The spiritual life is master in him, and so his aspirations are holy, heavenly, Godlike.”

Based on The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik.