The Double Conditional
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
Abide – “If you abide in Me.” Yesterday gave us an exquisite opportunity to do a fearless faith inventory. Do we really have an intimate bond with Jesus that allows no rival? Are we so close to Him that nothing and no one gets in the way? If you go to work on that, you have the first condition in hand.
But wait! There’s a second “abide” in this verse. Jesus says that I must have a relationship with Him that parallels the same relationship of total obedience He has with the Father and – I must also abide in His words. Now, I might understand at least in principle what it means to have a personal relationship so deep that it is unrivaled unity, but how do I abide in words? To understand this second (and final) condition for consistently answered prayer, we must look behind the Greek. We must imagine that we are sitting with the disciples listening to Jesus utter these words in Hebrew. We would most likely hear Him use the word qum, a verb that means “to establish, endure, continue”, describing something that does not come to an end. Jesus would point us to the ancient scroll of Isaiah 40:8, the assurance that the Word of God is faithful and reliable forever. Our Hebrew heritage would bring instant enlightenment. If we are to abide in His words, we must consistently and persistently practice what He teaches without fail and without end.
Answered prayer is guaranteed. There are only two conditions, both entirely within our grasp. First, maintain a union with Jesus that allows no hint of separation. And second, practice all that He taught. Simple. Not easy. But these two conditions open the door to something unimaginably sweet. We can stand in front of the worst life throws our way and say with Jesus, “and I knew that You hear Me always.”
Do you really want your prayers answered? There is a price to pay. It is the price of abiding. If you are ready to give yourself to the double abiding conditions, prayer will produce results – every time. You have His word on it.
