“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:23-24
What an amazing scripture. It says that the Father will give us whatever we ask for – in Jesus' name. From experience I don't find that everything I ask God for always happens, and sometimes wonder about verses like this. ‘The Father will give me whatever I ask for?’ What does this scripture really mean? Will it happen when we are so in tune with Jesus that we are only asking for what He wants?
I think that the secret here is to really know who we are in Christ and that we are now seated in Heavenly Places with Him. I can see that as we become more aware of who we are in Christ and really know that we are one with Him in Spirit, it helps us not only to have greater authority with the Father but gives us more understanding of God's will. We begin to know His mind.
When we come to the Father in Jesus name it’s coming to Him in Jesus. We need to see that it’s as if Jesus Himself is approaching the Father with us. If Jesus were to ask His Father for something, do you think He would be turned down? I don’t think so, especially if it were to do with the salvation of souls. There are some things we desire that are a bit worldly and may not be answered, like inheriting millions or winning Lotto. But there is something that I know from scripture that the Father has already said that He will give to the Son.
In Psalm 2 the Father says to His Son that He should ask Him and He would not only give Him souls but give Him nations.
“I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession”. Psalm 2:7-8 NIV
The Father said to His Son in these verses that He could ask Him for the nations, and He would give them to Him. In the light of the new covenant and us being the Sons and Daughters of God, I believe this invitation is for us as well. “You are my Son ask me for the nations”. It’s not going to be one day in the future it is today.
We read in John 16:23 that we are now under the new covenant and we can now come directly to the Father and ask as a Son or Daughter.
“And so, dear brothers, now we may walk right into the very Holy of Holies, where God is, because of the blood of Jesus. 20 This is the fresh, new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain—his human body—to let us into the holy presence of God.” Hebrews 10:19 TLB
“For here is eternal truth: When that time comes you won’t need to ask me for anything, but instead you will go directly to the Father and ask him for anything you desire and he will give it to you, because of your relationship with me.” John 16:23
In John 14:20 it says that we are now in the Kingdom, and that we are in Christ, and He is now in us. If this is so then we can come boldly to the Father just as Jesus did.
“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” John 14:20 KJV
“So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you.” TPT
The more we understand this amazing truth, the more confident we will become to approach the Father with our requests. We are not down here crying out all the time for God to come down and deliver us, but we are seated with Christ in Heavenly Places before the Father. We are greatly influenced down here by the reality of what we are aware of or see in the Heavenlies. If you don’t see your privileged position there, it will influence your walk down here and limit your power with God.
This is why Paul says in Colossians 3:1-2 that we are to set our minds on the realities of Heaven and not on the distractions of this natural realm. Most Christians hardly think about their position in Christ, and that they are now seated in Heavenly Places with Him. It’s just too hard to understand.
Romans 8:19 tells us that the world is waiting for the manifestation of the Sons and Daughters of God. The Church already is the Sons and Daughters of God, but unfortunately, we don't really know it. They don't speak and act like they are truly His Children, because they suffer from an identity crisis. Our words and actions can betray us, but as we understand who we are in Christ the bolder we become. It’s because we love the world too much that the love of the Father within is not known too us.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15
This power with the Father can't be earned, for it is a gift of His marvelous grace. There is a desperate need for the Church to know who Christ is and to know who we really are. We go to Church but we don't know that we are the true Church (His Bride) and don't have a living relationship with Him. The more you know how wonderful He is, and what He has done for you on the cross, the more you will see how you can come boldly to the Father and ask Him for such a big thing as a nation. As your mind is renewed to know that you are now ONE with Christ His Son it all becomes possible.
“But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:17
We need our minds renewed to believe verses like this and take on bigger requests. Realise that this path is not by our self-effort or by trying to be holier, but by knowing that He has already made us holy and that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Our sins have been forgiven and we are as righteous right now, as Christ is. Today we are His beloved Sons and Daughters and can now experience the same endless love of the Father that Jesus experienced.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30
This part 1 of a two part message.