Abiding simply stated means to remain or to continue to be present. How do I continue to be present when my time and attention is required for someone or something else? The same way that I would pray without ceasing. By carrying the awareness of our Fathers heart, His thoughts and His ways, we continue to be present with him. To ask ourselves, what does the Father want me to see and learn about Him in this moment is a powerful way to learn his nature and his thoughts as we continue to feed upon his words.
So much of our lives are lived on remote, doing without thinking, speaking without considering, yet this place of abiding holds the condition for our place of asking.
Who and what determines our desires?
Jesus’ instruction for prayer in Matthew 6 began with the exaltation of our Father. His name glorified, a desire, a hunger for His kingdom and His will (seeking first) before we every get to the place of asking.
What I am endeavouring to communicate today is abiding is a huge responsibility BEFORE asking. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.
We know that James and 1John admonish us, knowing His will gives us confidence in our asking. We can’t know without attending to the word and abiding in Him for wisdom and revelation. The letter kills but the spirit gives life. There must be daily communion with both word and spirit.
Abiding, we are enabled to live in John 14:13 “whatever you ask in my name, this I will do…..14: If you ask anything in my name I will do it.”
Jesus sets the standard for our asking to not only be done from this place of abiding, but requiring it to be done in his name.
The amplified translation of John 14:26 “the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf],….. “
shows us how the Holy Spirit conducts himself on behalf of Jesus. We can glean an insight into “in the name of Jesus” being more than casual use or religious terminology. Do you see what is required to be IN the name of Jesus? In His place, representing HIM and then acting on His behalf are essential to using His name.
This means, if Jesus were physically present this is exactly what He would do or say. That’s a huge responsibility. No more off the cuff praying, but a sincere seeking to accurately represent Jesus is the moment.
Our union with Him is to be so vitally abiding that we are confident we only do and say what we hear Him decree. We act from knowing. Jesus’ greatest desire was for us to be perfectly one with the Father, doing the greater works that glorify him.
If you abide in me and my words abide in you - you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.