Our Father

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

 OUR FATHER

John 16:19-24

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

NIV

Certainly Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the time they would grieve because of him dying on the cross, and they would no longer see him as he would be in the tomb. They would see him again after he was resurrected from the dead and indeed they would rejoice. But he would then ascend to heaven and they would not see him any more at all and perhaps they would mourn his leaving them. If we had the opportunity to spend several years with Jesus, hoping he would change the world and that we would be a part of this great movement, in fact, maybe would might be chosen to sit in his right or left side as we take over the world, we would be rather mournful if then he suddenly left, especially after returning from the dead. Then we might feel a little hopeless, a little rejected, mournful, thinking it is all over now. But we all, his disciples and all of us who ever believed in his name will see him again. But was Jesus only speaking to his disciples when he told them in that day they will no longer ask him anything? Perhaps all those years they were with Jesus, they never asked for anything from him, but they only followed after him. They never saw him as their provider, their redeemer, their Savior, their God. They never prayed to Jesus or to God in the name of Jesus. Surely he had taught them how to pray to God and now he was adding to their prayer his name. It is interesting that Jesus referred to his Father rather than using the word God. If we are brothers and sisters of Jesus, as he referred to us who do the will of his Father in heaven, then perhaps we should be using the term Father rather than God as well. Jesus taught us to pray, Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name……. so we should pray to our Father in the name of Jesus. Sometimes we just use dear Lord, or some other combination of words other than Father. Sure, it is most likely he still hears us, but maybe we should just use the word Father and ask him anything in the name of Jesus and believe that which we ask for we will receive. If we have doubt in our hearts it is certain we will not receive. Jesus told us which both Matthew and Mark recorded that when we ask for anything we should believe and not doubt. The Father told us through James that if we doubt we are a double minded person who is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind, and thus we should not expect anything from God. This double minded is when we try to figure out a way we can help the Father answer our prayer request. When we look to our making it happen, or looking to a world system to make it happen, we actually doubt that the Father will bring it to happen. If we simply ask the Father in the name of Jesus and truly believe without doubt, and when we ask we should make sure we have nothing against anyone at all. If we can do what Jesus is telling us to do, we will receive and when we receive from the hand of the Father our joy will be complete, it will not be in part, but it will be complete. We will have complete joy, overwhelming joy; whole hearted joy for the Father has given onto us that which we asked for. Thank you Father!