Have a theological question?

John 14: 8 – 15 Paradoxes to the Christian prayer life are many: from attributing every seeming confluence of events that delight us as God answering our prayers as if He is impartial to our biases and prejudice, to having God take sides in determining an outcome of an election or a football game in our choice of a winner.

Is God’s universal largesse at the mercy of our small mindedness? After all, Jesus did say, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). But does the quoted verse mean what we claim it says? The Scriptural context of the verse is couched within the framework of the Lord’s last supper with His disciples (John 13) and His betrayal by Judas (John 18), where the principal direction of His discourses at the time was intent towards the preparation of the disciples for His imminent death.

In fact, from its conversational tone, there appears to be a tinge of uncertainty and discouragement, as Jesus reassured them with His final instructions (John 14:1-5) through reaffirming His divine identity with His Father (John 14:9-13). To any Jewish follower, this synthesis of identity was anathema - to claim that he is God, but it was not the first occasion they had heard this from Him.

Nevertheless, in this melancholic setting, He began to orientate them towards the new focus in the important Jewish discipline of prayer; namely, that they could ask Him for anything, and He would do it, so that the Father may be glorified (John 14:13).

Then He repeated it, just in case they misheard Him, “if you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” What Jesus was teaching was incredulous, but they had to start learning as time with Him was running out. The categorical proviso for asking anything was to glorify His Father, and it seemed that is the only stipulation; no other bases would be entertained!

And their requests were to be made only in His name (John 14:13-14). This astounding teaching was addressed again several times in John's discourse (John 14:26; 15:16; 16:23-24,26). It was critical that they knew He was not leaving them at the mercy of a nebulous deity after His ascension (whatever they may have construed that to mean), but there was going to be some continuity in His ineffable ministry, including that of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, “greater things than these he will do because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). Invariably, it is this ‘greater works’ that determined the latitude of ‘whatever’ and ‘anything’ that they could ask, and He promised to do it. The assurance our Lord gave to His disciples implied that His spiritual presence would no longer be bound by His earthly physical limitations, but will be with them as they take the gospel to the ends of the earth (c.f., Matt 28: 18 - 20).

To be praying along what would glorify the Father is to understand and know what the Father’s will is concerning this world and our time here, and that is to know what has been written in His Word. That realization and grasp would be based on our ongoing relationship with our Lord in His oneness with His Father (John 10:30).

And as we are one with Him and He in us, it makes much sense when we ask only what He would Himself ask (John 14:20-21). The focus of prayer in this verse seeks for the continuation of what Jesus had commanded us to do to His Father’s glory, knowingly and intently, in the context of our life and where He has placed us in this world.

However, despite what has been said, we ought to continue praying as Scripture has commanded us (1Thess 5:17).

About Coram Deo

Coram Deo — before the face of God. This blog reflects on Scripture, world events, science, music, psychology, and the human mind — always through the lens of Christian faith. All of life is lived before the face of God.