The condition that must be met for God to hear our requests.

In John 14, our King declares that whatever we ask of Jesus, He will fulfill, and there are no requirements.

 

“ And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 Whatever you ask of me in my name, I will fulfill it." John 14

 

This interpretation gives a mandate to not care about the quality of our lives. It makes it so that we can live a godless life and still get everything from God.

This is not naive thinking, but rather lacking in knowledge.

One of my first lyrics was "Jesus is not a waiter."

It's not hard to guess that in it I wrote about abusing the word Jesus and treating God as a servant.

So what is the point of asking?

After all, in Matthew also as in John 14 Jesus proclaims that we will receive everything we ask for:

 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will findknock and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to the knocker they will open. 9 When which of you son asks for bread, is there one who will give him a stone? 10 Or when he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? 11 If you then, though evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him." Matthew 7.

 

Not only me but each of us asked and did not receive.

The answer to this dissonance is, among other things, the letter of James:

 

"You pray and do not receive, because you pray wrongly, seeking only to satisfy your lusts. 4 Adulterers³Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? So if anyone would intend to be a friend of the world, he becomes an enemy of God." James 4.

 

Friendship with the world, it's rock concerts, it's believing in politicians, it's fashion, it's being on fey too much, it's watching passionate series, it's living a life of hedonism, it's gossiping, etc. etc.

Sometimes I look at the facebook profiles of people who ask me for prayers and they are sometimes exactly like that. They want to get something from God through other believers, but they don't want to walk away from this world like Lot's wife.

 

 

...who looked back at rich Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt.

 

In fact, the answer to why God does not answer prayers despite His assurances is found in the words of Jesus Christ our Lord Himself in the next, or 15th chapter of John's gospel:

 

 

 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you; whatsoever ye would, ask, and it shall be done unto you. John 15.7

 

Scripture explains Scripture and what is sometimes contradictory is found elsewhere.

Jesus gave a condition for receiving blessings and fulfilling requests.

This condition is abiding in the Word of God. God is Jesus, Jesus is Yahweh (Jesus - Yahweh saves).

God's blessings are not unconditional.

It goes on to say:

 

10) If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

 

If.

Jesus kept the Father's commandments and we are to keep them. There are 10 of them.

But the most important is love, because they all come down to love. The first four to love of God, and the remaining six to love of man, neighbor.

 

So if you don't love, or respect your neighbor, and there are many such people among nominal Christianity, you will not receive. These are not my words.

It all shows biblically.

Now I go back a little bit to that same chapter in John's gospel.

 

” (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. (5) I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit."

 

The externalization of abiding in Jesus is, like the Fruits in the tree.

Happy fruition Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

 

Praise Jesus.