So turn with me in your Bibles
back to John chapter 16 and we'll read these remarkable words of
promise from our Lord that he was going to seal with his blood
within possibly an hour of this as it began in the Garden of
Gethsemane. He says in John 16, 23, in that
day, you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing
in my name. Ask, and you shall receive, that
your joy may be full. These things have I spoken to
you in Proverbs. But the time cometh when I shall
no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly
of the Father. At that day you shall ask in
my name. And I say not unto you that I
will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth
you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came
out from God. I came forth from the Father
and come into the world again. I leave the world and go to the
Father. What an amazing prayer. What
amazing words. On this night of all nights,
As we look to our Saviour, one of the things that He was pre-eminently
was a man of prayer. And he who did nothing for public
show and did nothing to please men, but lived always to do his
father's will and to honor and glorify his father, was seen
publicly praying again and again and again and again. He spent
whole nights in prayer at critical times of his life. And all the
moments of his life were critical for him. And when we didn't hear
him praying, he was probably praying quietly to his father.
The wonder of prayer is that it's an expression of communion
and the expression of relationship. It's an expression of trust. What an amazing saviour we have. How amazing it is to think that
his prayers on earth and his prayers in heaven right now for
his people are the same. He ever lives now to intercede
for his people. How are our prayers accepted
before God? In him. How are we accepted before
God? In Him. We're most exposed for what we
are as children of God or not by what we are when we're praying.
You think about that. I think it was Spurgeon who said,
a man on his knees is invincible. And as soon as I mention prayer
and I want to express the fact that for any of us who have ever
thought that we might have prayed, we know how weak and frail we
are. and how extraordinarily distracted
we are in our prayers and how extraordinarily we are led to
pray amiss, as the scriptures say. But the Lord, I want us to be
encouraged in prayer and I want us to come back and look at some
questions a little bit later on about who are the asking people? He defines the asking people
in this text of scripture and he also defines when they will
ask, what they will ask, on the basis of what they ask, and he
also clearly defines what they receive. As I said earlier, I
want to be have prayers that are heard of
God. The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. The only righteous
person that's ever walked on this earth is the Lord Jesus
Christ. And everyone who walked with him and everyone who walked
in him is righteous as he is righteous. That's why the prayer
of the righteous man availeth much, says James. The eyes of
the Lord 1 Peter 3.12, are over the righteous, and his ears are
open unto their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against
them that do evil. There is an asking amiss according
to the scriptures. There is an asking that you might
get for yourself. There are prayers like the prayer
of the Pharisee in Luke's Gospel and his prayer, he prayed thus
with himself, says God Almighty. There are millions of prayers
offered. that never get beyond the thoughts
of the man who offers them or beyond the space in which they're
offered. I want prayers to be effective. I want not just prayers
to be effective, I want these promises to be fulfilled. Whether
I want them to be fulfilled or not want them to be fulfilled,
they are being fulfilled. That's the wonder of the gospel,
isn't it? That God will do as he has promised
in the hearts and in the lives of his people. We are resting
on these amazing promises. So I just wanted to have a look
at prayer first in general, but I wanted us to go to these verses
in John Chapter 14, so that we actually get ourselves John Chapter
14, 15 and 16, because these are the words. But I want us
to hear again how incredibly significant it is that people
ask a rite, and asking a rite according to our passage of Scripture,
according to the Lord Jesus Christ, is asking in His name. Therefore
you can assume that if you don't ask in his name, you haven't
prayed, and it doesn't matter what it sounds like to you, and
it doesn't matter how many people applaud it, if you haven't prayed
in his name, you haven't prayed. Don't you remember the testimony
of the Lord Jesus Christ about Saul of Tarsus when he was in
Damascus, blinded, blinded, humbled, What does the
Lord say to Ananias? Behold, he prayeth. Paul had been the witness to
thousands of prayers, and he had prayed, no doubt, publicly
and fervently and so much in line with scripture that if we
heard Paul's, Saul the Pharisee's prayers, we'd be amazed at how
fervent he was. And yet the Lord's testimony
was, now he prays. May the Lord have that as our
testimony. But listen to what he says in
John 14 verse 13. We'll just go through these verses
because I think it's just so extraordinarily significant.
He says in John 14 verse 13, And whatsoever you shall ask
in my name, that will I do. that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. John 14.14 And if you ask anything
in my name, I will do it. John 14.26 But the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. And you might have remembered
in Graham's reading of Luke 11, he'll give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask. God's people are asking for the
Holy Spirit to come. But the comfort of which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach
you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever
I have said unto you. The Holy Spirit comes in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 15 verse 16, you have not
chosen me. Part of his name is the fact
that he is the elect one of God. It's the title that God the Father
gives him, Isaiah 42. You have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you and ordained you that you should go forth,
go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.
That's that joy that he's talking about. That's a witness of the
Lord Jesus Christ that he talks about. And that whatsoever you shall
ask the Father in my name, he may give it you. And in that
day you shall ask nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
these are the verses we've just read earlier. Whatsoever you
shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it. You, hitherto
you've asked nothing in my name. Ask, ask, ask and you shall receive
that your joy may be full. In that day, verse 26, in that
day you shall ask in my name. Asked. And people will immediately
say, well, I've asked and I haven't received. God is true. We ask amiss that we might spend
what we get on our own labours. We ask amiss not coming in his
name. We ask amiss coming and bargaining
with God, saying if I do this then you will be obligated to
do that. We come on the basis of works, we don't come on the
basis of grace. He says you have not because
you ask not. You ask and you receive not,
James 4.3, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon
your lusts. There is such an encouragement
in the scriptures for us to be people of prayer. And I just
want to go through some of these verses that when we might come
to look at John chapter 16 again, we might be encouraged to be
people who are just pleading with God, just like the man in
Luke chapter 11. You just keep on asking, you
just keep on asking. He says, In Philippians 4.6,
be careful for nothing. Don't let your heart be overcome
by the troubles and cares of this world, but in everything,
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known unto God. Isn't that lovely? And the peace
of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind
through Christ Jesus. He says in 1 Thessalonians 5,
verse 17, pray without ceasing. One of my favourite verses in
all of the scriptures is that one in John 4 with the woman
at the well. And he said to her, and who it is that saith unto
you, give me to drink, you would have asked of him. If you know
him and know his gifts, you'll be asking. May the Lord cause us to be prayerful
people, and prayerful people with an expectant that God will
answer our prayers. He says, the receiving and the
giving are as one in all of God's acts. Ask, and you'll receive
that your joy may be full. May the Lord guide us into prayers
and direct our prayers to his glory. Listen to what the Lord
prayed as he began his high priestly prayer on our behalf. He says,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son. Why? That thy son may also glorify
thee. true prayer looks to the glory
of God as thou has given him power over all flesh that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him. He
prays on the basis of election, God's absolute sovereignty, the
fact that God has a people and these are the people he's praying
for. And this is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified
Thee on the earth, and I have finished the work which Thou
gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou
me with mine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before
the world was. The glory of God is the heart
of his prayer again and again and again, isn't it? The glory
of God is the heart of his prayer when he's in distress, when his
heart is troubled. Twice in John's Gospel, when
his heart is troubled, he says, Father, glorify your name. He
said, now is your name glorified. Prayer and receiving, prayer
are enjoined together in the Scriptures. Prayer and promises
from God are joined together. Prayer and joy are enjoined by
our Lord. Prayer and receiving and joy
in receiving are enjoined in the name of the Lord. Therefore,
our joy, God's giving, God's glorifying His very being in
Christ in this world, are vitally linked to prayer, aren't they?
The very act of true prayer is an acknowledgement of who he
is. This is his world. He has the right to do with us
as he sees fit. And everything he does is good
all the time. All the time. We are the sheep of his pasture. And the sheep just keep looking
to the shepherd. The straying sheep keep needing
the shepherd to bring them back into the fold. Father glorify
thy name is his cry. The answer from heaven, I've
glorified it and I will glorify it again. He taught his disciples
to pray. We read that in Luke chapter
11. But prayer is the evidence, as I said earlier, of life from
heaven. The prisoner set free. Paul didn't
know he was a prisoner and captive to religion and captive to the
lust of his flesh. and captive. He was riding high
onto the way to Damascus and here's the pattern of all the
Lord brings to a place where he says to him, Behold, he prayeth. Behold, he prayeth. Prayer and
salvation are linked together in the scriptures. All of God's
people are praying people. All of God's people, listen to
what it says in Acts chapter 2, when the blessed Holy Spirit
was poured out on that day of Pentecost, it says that whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Paul says in Romans 10 verse
12, he says, there is no difference between Jew and Greek. The same
Lord is Lord over all, and is rich unto all that call upon
him. And for whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And if you've called
on him and been saved, you're calling now, and you'll be calling
again, and you'll be calling again, and you'll be calling
again. I love looking back in the scriptures
at the very beginning of things, and John wants us to go to the
beginning of things, but in Genesis chapter 4, I'll just tell you
the story, but in Genesis chapter 4 when Eve had Cain, she said,
now I've got the man from the Lord, now I've got the man who's
going to be the one who crushes the serpent's head, and how extraordinarily
wrong she was, her first son was a murderer. But at the end
of chapter four, Adam had another son, and Eve had another son,
and he's called Seth. And to him, Stantoseth was also
born a son, Genesis 4.26. And he called his name Enos. Then men began to call upon the
name of the Lord. What's Seth's name mean? Substitute. What's Enos' name mean? Man. Weak. Frail. Fickle. Fallen. Who calls on
the name of the Lord? The sons of the Substitute. They
call on the name of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
Father. To all his own and the sons of
the substitute, call on the name of the Lord. Prayer looks to
God in heaven as he is declared. Prayer looks out and up and away
from self. Prayer and expresses a need. We're always needy. We never
get beyond being needy mercy beggars. Prayer acknowledges
the distance between us and God. All prayer comes to God through
the substitute, the mediator, the intercessor. See, all true
prayer has its origin in heaven. That's why it's so precious,
isn't it? It comes from the throne of grace. And it calls the children
of God back to the throne of grace. Aren't you thrilled that
there's a throne of grace in heaven? He says, you come boldly
to the throne of grace. Why is it so special, this throne
of grace? Because it's not a throne of
works. God is not looking for our worthiness in answer to our
prayer. And prayer is emboldened by and
prayer looks to God's word of promise fulfilled. God's word
of promise fulfilled is an incentive to prayer. Don't you love the
story of Daniel? Daniel said when he realised
that the 70 weeks were done, God's promised 70 weeks for the
children of Israel to be in captivity to the Babylonians, when it was
fulfilled, when those number of years was accomplished, Then
I set my face unto the Lord to seek by prayer and supplications
with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. And I prayed unto the
Lord my God and made my confession. And I just love the prayers of
Daniel and Nehemiah and all of the prayers of the children of
God. They never ever placed themselves above the sinners that they are
and the sinners that they are surrounded by. When God has promised,
we ought to be praying. Open your mouth wide that you
may receive. Prayer and rejoicing is the promise
of God in John chapter 16. But if you look back to Luke
chapter 10 with me, you'll see that the Lord rejoiced It's one
of the very few times in all of the scriptures. Luke chapter
10 verse 17, the 70 returned and with joy saying, Lord, even the devils are subject
unto us through thy name. And he said, I beheld Satan as
lightning falling from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power
to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you, notwithstanding
this. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice
night, don't rejoice in all your power to do all of these things,
these remarkable things that the spirits have subjected unto
you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. When were they written in heaven? Before the foundation of the
world was when they were written in heaven. But listen to what
he says. In that hour, Jesus rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank Thee, O Father. True prayer is thankful
prayer, isn't it? It's thankfulness. I thank Thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me
of my father, and no man knoweth the father, knoweth who the son
is but the father, and who the father is but the son, and he
to whom the son will reveal him. He rejoiced. Do you rejoice over
that? Why rejoice over God being God? That's why in the very next chapter
he says the Holy Spirit will be given to those who ask him.
And the parable beforehand is he just keep on asking. You ask
and you ask and you ask. In closing, I just wanted to
take us to one remarkable story that we look at often, but the
more I look at it, the more I love it. And it's an amazing picture
of that woman, that Canaanite woman, who was excluded from
the Commonwealth of Israel and without hope and without God
in the world, and she was drawn by the trial of her life into
the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when she came, Her daughter
was grievously vexed with the devil, and she cried unto him,
saying in verse 22, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil, but he answered her not a word. And his disciples
came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth
after us. But he answered and said, I'm
not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I didn't come for the Canaanites. And she said, she came, what did she do in
the very presence of the holiness and sovereignty and the majesty
of God Almighty? She came and worshipped him.
And she prayed, Lord, help me. What a great prayer. Lord, help
me. Lord, save me. We can't hear
from God unless the Lord helps us. We can't preach unless the
Lord helps us. We can't believe unless the Lord
helps us. And he answered and said, it
is not me, it is not right to take the children's bread and
cast it to dogs. You're just a dog. I have the
bread of heaven for the children. And she says, truth, Lord. Isn't that remarkable? What a
remarkable prayer. Lord, help me. Truth, Lord. That's true. Everything you say
is true. And then she says, yet. The dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from the master's table. Crumbs have been falling from
the master's table into the hands of the Gentiles ever since this
world began. Ruth is a great picture of it,
isn't it? And so is Rahab the harlot. Crumbs keep falling. They've fallen all the way to
this world now. Then Jesus answered and said
unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto you, even as thou
wilt. What a word to hear from God.
You come in prayer saying, Lord, help me. Saying truth, Lord,
to God revealed as he really is, according to the scriptures.
And we'll have this amazing promise. Do you reckon she went home joyful?
When she got home, she was joyful. Wasn't she? What a journey she
must have had home to her demon-possessed daughter. And the daughter was
made whole from that very hour. May the Lord work so in our hearts.