INTRODUCTION
• START WITH VIDEO ON PRAYER.
• SLIDE #1
• Today we are going to look at another life verse that will help us to live out the kind of faith that God wants us to live.
• How many times do we feel all alone in our quest to live for Jesus? How many times have we lifted up some kind of prayer to God only to seemingly to have it go unanswered?
• I remember several occasions when I had uttered a prayer in the direction of God only to feel that it was not heard.
• That left me feeling empty and confused. Have you ever had that experience?
• Aren’t we told to prayer to God all the time?
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Why would we be told to do that if it makes no difference? Is God messing with our minds?
• Today we are going to look at a passage in which Jesus encourages His followers to do something.
• If we are going to live the life that God want us to live, we MUST realize that we have a wonder gift that god has given to us.
• Today we are going to look at what Jesus promises to us as we look at John 16:24. It is my prayer that you will take the time this week to memorize this simple passage, that you will let it penetrate the depths of your soul!
• Let’s turn to John 16:24
• In this passage, Jesus is getting near the end of His time on earth. He has told the 12 that He was going to die and be raised. The disciples are a little confused, and so Jesus comforts them.
• Jesus explained to the disciples that his departure would only last “a little while” (actually only three days), for he would see them again on the day of his resurrection. Then a new relationship between the disciples and Jesus’ Father would begin. They would then be able to approach God the Father as his children and bring to him their requests through prayer. (Life Application Bible)
• Let’s look at our text.
• SLIDE #2
• John 16:24 (NASB) 24“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
• As we look at this verse, the first thing I want us to see is that there is a problem.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. THE PROBLEM.
• As we look at verse 24, the problem that we see is the fact that the disciples had not been praying for things in the name of Jesus.
• Jesus is not rebuking the disciples for this problem because they has not been taught to pray in that manner.
• When you think back to the model prayer found in Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus does not tell them to pray in His name, He tells them to pray to the Father who is in heaven.
• He tells them that until now (the time before the resurrection) they had not prayed in His name, but AFTER the resurrection that they would be able to pray to Jesus.
• The issue we have to understand is what does Jesus mean when He tells us to pray in His name?
• Is praying in the name of Jesus simply an exercise of reciting your list of things you want God to do, and then at the end, say, “In Jesus name I prayer”?
• If we do not understand what it means to pray in the name of Jesus, or to ask in His name, we could end up not having a lot of faith in the power of prayer.
• The answer to this question is pretty easy once you think about it.
• To pray in the name of Jesus means that we are to pray for the things that Jesus would want us to pray for.
• This thought is similar to the situation of an ambassador. When we send an ambassador to another country in the name of the United States, we expect them to represent the values and wishes of the United States.
• When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are supposed to represent what He wants.
• I wonder how many prayers go seemingly unanswered because what we are praying for is not within the will and character of our Lord.
• Oh, God, please let me win the lottery! God did not answer the prayer for me, so I guess prayer does not work.
• This is how many people put prayer to the test, they will ask for something THEY want, and when THEY do not get it, they turn on God.
• Do you know one thing you can do in order to have a better prayer life? Get to know your Lord better.
• The 12 spent three years with Jesus, it took them that long to get to know Jesus in an intimate way. Even with all that time they spent with Him, at times it was still a struggle.
• In James 4, James speaks a bit on this subject in James 4:3.
• SLIDE #4
• James 4:3 (GWT) 3When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.
• If we do not know our Lord, then we will not know what is within His will and character.
• We have a great gift!
• Jesus clarified a new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached God through priests.
• After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could approach God directly in Jesus’ name. A new day has dawned; now all believers are priests, talking with God personally and directly (see Hebrews 10:19-23). We approach God, not because of our own merit, but because Jesus, our great High Priest, has made us acceptable to God. When was the last time you asked God for what you really need? (LAB)
• One of the things we need to understand about life is that it is all about JESUS!
• SLIDE #5
• Galatians 2:20 (NASB) 20“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
• Once we start to grasp this thought, it will change how you live, pray, and serve.
• Now let us look at the second though concerning prayer.
• SLIDE #6
II. THE SOLUTION.
• How can we make a fulfilling prayer life?
• Just ASK!
• Notice what Jesus says in our passage. He tells us to ask and we will receive!
• GREAT! I want a new car, to lose 30 pounds without working on it, I want to…, I want this…, I want to win the lottery!
• BLAB IT GRAB IT!
• This is not what Jesus is saying, He is telling us that if we ASK in His name, we will receive.
• Something you will notice if you have not already noticed is that as you get to know your Lord more, what you want changes, what you want becomes more of what Jesus would want.
• As you grow, you get become more like Him.
• I believe one of the BIGGEST problems in the church is that too many of us do not know Jesus, too many of us are not becoming Christ like in our lives.
• The reason for this is not that we are terrible people; it is because we do not take the time we need to take in order to know our Lord.
• Suffice to say, when you become more Christ-Like, you will not little trouble asking for what Jesus would ask for.
• We have a tendency to be selfish (me included) because we do not know our Lord well enough to be like Him.
• Jesus tells us that if we ask in His name that we will receive.
• We MUST have the faith in Jesus to know He will answer us.
• SLIDE #7
• James 1:6 - 8 (NASB) 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
• How many times have we gone to Jesus with something thinking in our minds that He would not answer us?
• We have to realize that when we ask in His name that He will answer. We will not ALWAYS get the answer in the way we want it, but I can tell you that I am glad God did not give me everything I asked for. You have heard, be careful what you ask for.
• God wants us to ask of Him.
• SLIDE #8
• James 1:17 (NASB) 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
• Every good thing comes from the Father!
• God does not get sick of hearing from you!
• When Jesus tells us to ask, the form of the word translated “ask” means to KEEP ON ASKING. Jesus tells us to keep asking in His name.
• Jesus is there to make intercession for us! (Hebrews 7:24-25.)
• SLIDE #9
• James 1:5 (NASB) 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
• God does not look at you and tell you that you are dumb for asking.
• We can ask God to help us in every area of our lives.
• We do not have because we do not ask!
• Now let us look at the something else we receive from God when we ask!
• SLIDE #10
III. THE BLESSING.
• I do not know about you, but just the thought of receiving what I ask for in the name of Jesus is enough, but look at what the rest of verse 24 tells us!
• Jesus says that He will give us what we ask for in His name so that OUR JOY will be made full!
• Through constant fellowship with God in prayer and through receiving answers to prayer, whatever is lacking in our joy will be supplied by Jesus!
• Here Jesus is getting ready to face the cross, He knows the pain and agony He is going to suffer, and yet His focus on making the joy of His followers full.
• Joy is an inner peace that comes from knowing that God is in control.
• The great blessing is the fact that Jesus is there with you, that He hears you and that He answers your prayers.
• One of the confirmations I have concerning the existence of God is the answered prayers I have received from Him.
• Jesus does not want you to live a miserable life, He wants you to experience joy to the fullest!
CONCLUSION
• Is your prayer life a bit blah?
• Do you feel like God does not hear you? Do you feel distant from God?
• Let me suggest that you take John 16:24 to heart.
• Take the time to get to know the Lord you love, as you get to know Him more, you will find that your prayer life changes.
• You will start to experience greater joy in your life, because that is what Jesus wants for you!
