I want to consider some very important words by Jesus Christ on the subject of Prayer.

John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, And it shall be done for you.”

Notice immediately the tiny YET ALL important word “IF.” That small word makes the point that getting your prayers answered is conditional. So many people and Christians as well, have believed that prayer is only conditional on the basis that one actually does pray, that is, speaks to God. Once that is accomplished then the onus is on God is to respond either in the positive or the negative.

In fact, the bible teaches that the actual act of prayer, speaking to God, is NOT SUFFICIENT in and of itself to guarantee God’s will to be accomplished in your life. Naturally, without the actual act of speaking to God, you have no hope in getting any answer at all but that is simply the start.

The Apostle said that there are two conditions to be met. If you’ll meet these two conditions you can ask whatever you will. Notice it says whatever you will.

The first is: “if you abide in me.” So you must be in Him before you can abide in Him.

How is someone in Him? The way you get into Christ is by being BORN AGAIN. I want you to notice that this is a JESUS term not a modern paraphrase that some church or denomination invented or coined to start some kind of a movement. You recall that Jesus said to Nicodemus, “no one enters the kingdom of God without being born again.“

John 3:1 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ 3 Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ 4 Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ 5 Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.’”

Now consider what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian church,
2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

So you can see that being born again is being in Christ. Once you get into Christ, you need to stay in good fellowship with Him. The way you stay in good companionship is through the Word of God, feeding or mediating on God’s Word and praying and fellowshipping with the Father.

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Now in John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Have you noticed that so many of the promises of the Bible are conditional? Even when it comes to being born again there are conditions that have to be met. Faith and Repentance are just simply examples of them.

Now thank God His Word gives you the means whereby the conditions can be met. For instance, faith is one of the conditions that has to be met but HE gives you the means whereby faith can be produced. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

I’ve re-read my post and I don’t see any judgment in it. I said I understand how he got to that place. I have just determined in myself never to go to that place. These are choices that we make in life. I have also had my share of praying for people who have died. I have experienced the bitterness and the tears, after 15 years of ministry now, much more than this guy ever had. Thank God, I have also seen miracles and God’s gracious intervention.

What are the options you are inferring? Giving up or perhaps blaming God? Or, agreeing with people who blame God for sickness? A thousand times, No! Never. This man was not sick, he burned out from his extreme compassion and his church’s failure to prevail in healing. He certainly deserved our compassion, but much more, he deserved the truth. No one will get to vent before God and giving up on your gifts and calling is not to be encouraged.

I certainly have sympathy for your own situation. Seek those with a rugged faith for healing and gifts of healing. Avoid those without. I will be happy to pray with and for you if I ever come to your church.

Blessings
Bay

If you believe in the one who he sent you will do greater things. Healing.

Sometimes I believe its simply a child like faith on Jesus bridging the divide between man and God that brings down the power. Its so simple, we miss it when we attempt to heal ourselves. Jesus is the Father’s will revealed. Faith in Jesus is what gives us the righteousness to access the power of the Father to heal. We miss this when we try to heal the sick. Its all in what Jesus did, and we have to accept it like salvation – an unmerited gift. Get this wrong and the power won’t flow. Jesus and what he did on the cross is what bridges the divide between God and man. Nothing else does.