Blank Checks

Let me add, that just hating God because of some tragedy in your life won’t do it. Even someone that stands in the street and screams how much they hate God is actually making a statement of faith.

However, for a relationship that produces fruit -- abiding is not an option.

Any form of abiding in Christ works to your advantage. Bible Study, Christian Music, Sunday School, sharing with Christian friends are all ways of connecting to Christ. They will all help you to mature as a Christians and enable you to develop fruit.

That means your life will be productive in the hands of God.

As if being useful in the hands God were not enough of an draw how about verse 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.

Wow, a blank check from God. That is so great isn’t it?

If we are abiding we can ask for WHAT WE DESIRE……AND IT WILL BE DONE!!!!

Man that is so great!

Do you think that is some sort of reward…for abiding?

Can you imagine what our world would be like of God granted our every request?

If we really had a blank check, what would we write on it?

How would God decide who would win the super bowl Or what about political elections?

There must be Christians on both sides.

What about other prayers where we just give God a list of the things we want?

A mixture of stuff and special help that we think we need.

Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that this scripture is not as plain as it looks.

We have to go back to the subject of Jesus’ teaching. He has been talking about the relationship between believers and how the Vinedresser shapes the branches to produce fruit.

So that makes me believe that the focus of the prayer should be on the natural development of fruit and not on wants that don’t have eternal value.

In the list of abiding that we talked about so far, I have not mention prayer.

However, I believe that prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is.

-- A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schools work.

He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God to help me find my marble?"

She told him to go ahead, the little boy knelt by his chair, closed his eyes, and prayed silently. Then he got up and went on with his lessons contentedly.

The next day, his aunt was almost afraid to ask about the prayer request. She was a little worried that if he did not find the marble that his simple faith would be damaged.

She finally decided to ask anyway and said to him, "Well, dear have you found your marble? " No," was the reply, "but God has made me not want to."

-- When we abide in Christ, especially in prayer, I believe that we develop and grow into a healthy branch that conforms to God’s image.

He changes our hearts desires and helps us to trust in His actions in our lives.

Jesus describes the affects of prayer like this:

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.