WHATSOEVER YE WILL
If Ye Abide in Me, and My Words Abide in You, Ask Whatsoever Ye Will, and it
Shall be Done Unto You--John 15:7
The Whole place of the branch in the vine is one
of unceasing prayer. Without intermission it is ever calling: "O my vine, send
the sap I need to bear Thy fruit." And its prayers are never unanswered: it
asks what it needs, what it will, and it is done.
The healthy life of the believer in Christ is
equally one of unceasing prayer. Consciously or unconsciously, he lives in
continual dependence. The Word of his Lord, "You can do nothing," has taught
him that not more unbroken than the continuance of the branch in the vine, must
be his asking and receiving. The promise of our text gives us infinite
boldness: "Ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
The promise is given in direct connection with
fruit-bearing. Limit it to yourself and your own needs, and you rob it of its
power; you rob yourself of the power of appropriating it. Christ was sending
these disciples out, and they were ready to give their life for the world; to
them He gave the disposal of the treasures of Heaven. Their prayers would bring
the Spirit and the power they needed for their work.
The promise is given in direct connection with
the coming of the Spirit. The Spirit is not mentioned in the parable, just as
little as the sap of the vine is mentioned. But both are meant all through. In
the chapter preceding the parable, our Lord had spoken of the Holy Spirit, in
connection with their inner life, being in them, and revealing Himself within
them (14:15-23). In the next chapter He speaks of the Holy Spirit in connection
with their work, coming to them, convincing the world, and glorifying Him
(16:7-14). To avail ourselves of the unlimited prayer promises, we must be men
who are filled with the Spirit, and wholly given up to the work and glory of
Jesus. The Spirit will lead us into the truth of its meaning and the certainty
of its fulfillment.
Let us realize that we can only fulfill our
calling to bear much fruit, by praying much. In Christ are hid all the
treasures men around us need; in Him all God's children are blessed with all
spiritual blessings; He is full of grace and truth. But it needs prayer, much
prayer, strong believing prayer, to bring these blessings down. And let us
equally remember that we cannot appropriate the promise without a life given up
for men. Many try to take the promise, and then look round for what they can
ask. This is not the way; but the very opposite. Get the heart burdened with
the need of souls, and the command to save them, and the power will come to
claim the promise.
Let us claim it as one of the revelations of our
wonderful life in the Vine: He tells us that if we ask in His name, in virtue
of our union with Him, whatsoever it be, it will be done to us. Souls are
perishing because there is too little prayer. God's children are feeble because
there is too little prayer. We bear so little fruit because there is so little
prayer. The faith of this promise would make us strong to pray; let us not rest
till it has entered into our very heart, and drawn us in the power of Christ to
continue and labor and strive in prayer until the blessing comes in power. To
be a branch means not only bearing fruit on earth, but power in prayer to bring
down blessing from Heaven. Abiding fully means praying much.
Ask what ye will. O my Lord, why is it
that our hearts are so little able to accept these words in their divine
simplicity? Oh, give me to see that we need nothing less than this promise to
overcome the powers of the world and Satan! Teach us to pray in the faith of
this Thy promise.