"Because I Say!"

"Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it." (S.O.S. 8:13)

  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall ye do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)

  Before I meet the real Jesus, all my prayers were pretty much directed at the Father, saying, "Dear God, please hear my prayer." Did He hear me? Amazingly, I do believe in my heart that He did; I really do think He has always heard my prayers, ever since I was old enough to call upon His name, He has heard me! Does that mean that I saw my prayers always answered? No, not in the least. What it did mean, and still does now, is that I was able to call upon my Father and feel good in knowing that He heard me. Isn't it wonderful that we have such a loving God, who really does what to hear what we say! 

  I don't know all the answers; and quite frankly, I don't really think I want to know, especially the answers to my prayers! If I had everything that I asked for, honestly, I think I would have lost out on some very special moments and discoveries, that I otherwise might not have had or lived through. We really don't have a clue what is best for us to live through; but I think I can say without a doubt, God's ways are so much higher than ours! When we do ask God for peace, does He just bless us with peace? 

  To make some sense of what I believe is being said, the concept is much the same as asking any thing in the name of Jesus; in which, it is a little misunderstood, because in His name has been given to mean, we say, "In the name of Jesus," as if that is the magic phase that gets things done. To me more correctly understood, if Jesus Christ is the Word of God, then your request that will be answered if it lines up with God's Word. In other words, if we are dwelling in the gardens, as it so interestingly applies, then the conversations we will have will be conversations that are towards and about heaven. 

  It is really not about prayer, because when we pray, usually our prayers are intended to be for or towards something here on earth. This is about speaking with God, just as you would speak to your friends or a loved one; not as if He is way up there somewhere and you hope He hears you; but you talk and share with Him about the things you know that you both have in common. Paul speaks of this in Philippians 3:20-21, after speaking of those that live for earthly gain, saying, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." 

  If we are really asking any thing in His name, then whatever we may be asking is in line with His life, His passion, and His Words! Case in point, right after saying those things in John 14:14, He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) And then He goes into the abiding, as if, We abide in Him, and He will abide in us! Which pretty much means that if we abide in His Word, then His Word will abide in us; in so doing, we will always know what we should be asking for, because even if we don't know the thing we ask, we are given peace to ask anything that is in His will. 

  Besides that; I cannot asked anything in the name of Jesus, that Jesus himself would not ask...

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore live is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of thy sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." (Romans 13:9-11)