Asking for things in Jesus' name

[JBirdAngel]

Hello,

the Bible says that you can ask for anything in Jesus name and it will be given.

of course this only applies to God's chosen, and true believers, as i dont believe anyone else can truely ask for something in Jesus' name.

however, my question is what happens when i ask for something wrong in Jesus' name?

something that i dont want to have asked for in His name and something that i dont agree with because it is putting my will first or so on, is it jsut that doing such is not asking for something in Jesus' name?

is to ask something in Jesus' name only possible when He is being put first in our thoughts and hearts, i ask for things in His name, but sometimes i mess up and ask for things that are wrong and i ask for them to be undone

but i worry about asking for horrible things in His name, what does it mean and what should i do about it or how should i understand it in relation to things and in relation to proper things asked for in His name?

thank you - jason

[Canuckster1127]

Hello,

the Bible says that you can ask for anything in Jesus name and it will be given.

of course this only applies to God's chosen, and true believers, as i dont believe anyone else can truely ask for something in Jesus' name.

however, my question is what happens when i ask for something wrong in Jesus' name?

something that i dont want to have asked for in His name and something that i dont agree with because it is putting my will first or so on, is it jsut that doing such is not asking for something in Jesus' name?

is to ask something in Jesus' name only possible when He is being put first in our thoughts and hearts, i ask for things in His name, but sometimes i mess up and ask for things that are wrong and i ask for them to be undone

but i worry about asking for horrible things in His name, what does it mean and what should i do about it or how should i understand it in relation to things and in relation to proper things asked for in His name?

thank you - jason

God does not subject His will to ours when we pray.

When Scripture talks about God giving us the desires of our heart, we tend to think we can ask for what we think we want or need

Think of it this way. God actually gives us the "desires" in our heart so that we want what He wants. Then we are praying for what He's placed in us in the first place.

That was a revelation to me when I first took hold of it.

[FFC]

God does not subject His will to ours when we pray.

When Scripture talks about God giving us the desires of our heart, we tend to think we can ask for what we think we want or need

Think of it this way. God actually gives us the "desires" in our heart so that we want what He wants. Then we are praying for what He's placed in us in the first place.

That was a revelation to me when I first took hold of it.

So we should not even bother praying unless we are walking and abiding spotlessly in Christ?

[Canuckster1127]

God does not subject His will to ours when we pray.

When Scripture talks about God giving us the desires of our heart, we tend to think we can ask for what we think we want or need

Think of it this way. God actually gives us the "desires" in our heart so that we want what He wants. Then we are praying for what He's placed in us in the first place.

That was a revelation to me when I first took hold of it.

So we should not even bother praying unless we are walking and abiding spotlessly in Christ?

Where did you get that? Certainly not what I was saying or inferring.

Praying is about far more than asking God for things. With spiritual maturity comes a more effective prayer life. Certainly interceding and praying for specific people and specific situations does have power and there is Scripture that illustrates God answering prayer in that manner, even God changing his mind or changing his course of action based upon intercession, and repentence of people.

Prayer is far more than that however.

It is worship, it is confession and restoration, it is thanksgiving and gratitude toward a loving and caring father and then, yes, it is about praying for God's hand to move in many ways, but that I find becomes less an element of my prayer life the better in tune I am with God in the first place.

I find, personally, the more I experience and meditate upon it, though that a vibrant prayer life changes me more than it changes God's mind.

[JBirdAngel]

well i see what your saying and i agree, but i also thinks it means that He will give us what it is that our heart desires.

putting Him first and coming to Him helps us align and get things right, and moves us away from sin and to putting His will first and the things that He wants for us.

God desires for us to have a relationship with Him and to trust and believe in Jesus Christ, and coming to Him we also have the desire to believe in Jesus, and He also gives us that by giving us faith in Jesus.

this pertains to other things also, such as God desired for Adam and Eve to be togehter, who He made specifically for each other and to have the in love, one, relationship. Adam and Eve also desired to be with each other and only each other.

this is still true today of course, but this is a fallen world and God allows sin to exist out of His great love and patience for us, so that all He has chosen can come to Him and so that His mercy can be known and for all things to work toward His glory.

but with a fallen world not everything happens as it will on the new earth. The Bible doesnt mention when Adam and Eve passed away in relation to each other, but if they passed away at different times, they would not have been together in the same way, but still desire to be as such, just as God desires for them to be as such, and then when the other one passed away they were again together and now are together forever.

however, i am more asking about how asking for things in Jesus' name that are wrong/bad works in connection with things or what happens, like i dont know how to explain it i guess, but i certaintly dont want to ask for bad/wrong things in His name, but sometimes i do, how does that work?

He will give us everything we ask in His name, so is it that even though i ask for something wrong/bad in His name, that i am not truely asking for it in His name since it is wrong/bad, and as such not what i truely desire, meaning that i desire for the Lord's will to come first, even if it is something that i want, it is still not what i desire, because i desire for His will to be done, not mine.

thank you - jason

[Canuckster1127]

well i see what your saying and i agree, but i also thinks it means that He will give us what it is that our heart desires.

putting Him first and coming to Him helps us align and get things right, and moves us away from sin and to putting His will first and the things that He wants for us.

God desires for us to have a relationship with Him and to trust and believe in Jesus Christ, and coming to Him we also have the desire to believe in Jesus, and He also gives us that by giving us faith in Jesus.

this pertains to other things also, such as God desired for Adam and Eve to be togehter, who He made specifically for each other and to have the in love, one, relationship. Adam and Eve also desired to be with each other and only each other.

this is still true today of course, but this is a fallen world and God allows sin to exist out of His great love and patience for us, so that all He has chosen can come to Him and so that His mercy can be known and for all things to work toward His glory.

but with a fallen world not everything happens as it will on the new earth. The Bible doesnt mention when Adam and Eve passed away in relation to each other, but if they passed away at different times, they would not have been together in the same way, but still desire to be as such, just as God desires for them to be as such, and then when the other one passed away they were again together and now are together forever.

however, i am more asking about how asking for things in Jesus' name that are wrong/bad works in connection with things or what happens, like i dont know how to explain it i guess, but i certaintly dont want to ask for bad/wrong things in His name, but sometimes i do, how does that work?

He will give us everything we ask in His name, so is it that even though i ask for something wrong/bad in His name, that i am not truely asking for it in His name since it is wrong/bad, and as such not what i truely desire, meaning that i desire for the Lord's will to come first, even if it is something that i want, it is still not what i desire, because i desire for His will to be done, not mine.

thank you - jason

God's Sovereignty dictates that He can say no.

Are you suggesting that God confers upon us the right to dictate to Him what He will give us, solely based upon the premise of our asking?

That rendering is completely foreign to the immutable characteristics of God and further it takes this passage out of context.

The passage qualifies itself in that the object (whatever we ask) is modified by "in His name."

What do you believe it means to ask God for something "in His name?"

[FFC]

Jason, God will not give you something bad just because you worded something wrong or asked for something in ignorance. God knows your heart. He only wants what is good and right for you. Above all else His will will be done no matter what we ask.

Look at Luke 11

11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

[led]

1Kings 21:21-29
21I will bring calamity on you....
27So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbimte, saying, 29"See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."

He looks at our heart. God changed His mind with Ahab. He will give us what we ask for through a humble heart even though we don't deserve it. I see many Christians ask things with a proud heart and they get nothing.

[Turgonian]

He didn't change His mind, He just postponed judgement...

But on topic...Jesus wasn't saying you could just ask for anything. He was using what is called 'dramatic orientation'. Quoting from here (watch out, parody):

Look -- people of the Biblical world -- and in many ancient cultures, and even modern cultures today -- have what is called a dramatic orientation. We'd say that they used a lot of hyperbole to express themselves.

For instance, when you enter the house of a friend in modern-day Syria, he could say to you:

"You have extremely honored me by coming into my abode. I am not worthy of it. This house is yours; you may burn it if you wish. My children are also at your disposal; I would sacrifice them all for your pleasure." The Westerner who hears this might well be shocked and offended, but what is being said behind the verbiage is no more than "I am delighted to see you; please make yourself at home." Jesus' pledge of faith moving mountains is of the same order. It doesn't mean you'll get each and every prayer answered positively; that's ridiculous. It's a dramatic statement of God's love for his clients. Okay?

In conclusion:

To complete the picture, add this: In Jewish thought, God was sovereign. Nothing happened that God did not permit or cause. 'Early Jewish teaching did celebrate God's kindness in answering prayer, but rarely promises such universal answers to prayer to all of God's people as the language suggests.' [Keener, 245] Only a small number of sages were considered pious enough to ask for and receive whatever they wanted -- and that piety was their key indicates that they weren't going around asking for just anything they wanted (like Hanina ben Dosa, and Honi the Circle-Drawer), but only what they supposed to be in the will of God. "' Such a call to believing prayer supposes a heart of piety submitted to God's will...

Now I'm going to eat fried egg, if anyone's interested. That's why I copied and pasted so much. (Besides, why reinvent the wheel every time?)

[Dan-207]

Isn't it written that the holey spirit will intercede between us and God when we pray?

[FFC]

Isn't it written that the holey spirit will intercede between us and God when we pray?

Good point, Dan. Praise God that we have the Holy Spirit who looks into our hearts to make sense of the things we are praying for.

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.