When God Answers Prayer

This morning I was struck by these words from John 15:7:

"If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours." (from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

What a promise!  We can ask for anything we want and it will be ours!!!

But what if it isn't?  I suspect that many of us have had the experience of praying for something that we do not receive.  Why does that happen?  It seems to me that this verse gives at least a part of the answer - "If you live in me and what I say lives in you".  

I think of what it says in 1 John 4:18-19: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (NKJV)  How often have my prayers for something been based in fear?  Whenever this is the case, this verse makes it clear that I am not fully living in God and His love, so I've not met the condition for answered prayer.

Are my prayers for something based in worry?  If so, clearly Jesus words aren't "abiding in me" -

 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on." (Matthew 6:25 - NKJV)

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34 - NKJV) 

". . . do not worry about how or what you should speak. . . . " (Matthew 10:19 - NKJV)

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind." (Luke 12:29 - NKJV)

Do not have an anxious mind!  Now there's a tall order for someone like me!  And yet, if I'm fully abiding in God and His words fully abiding in me, I wouldn't have an anxious mind, would I?

Paul gave similar advice to the Phillipians:

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:6-9 - Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.)

As I think about these things, I realize two things:

1. There are so many times God has given me things I've asked for even when I wasn't following these guidelines and fully living in Him and having His word live in me!  God is so good to me!
2. One prayer that has always been answered is, "Father, I believe, help thou mine unbelief!"  When I find myself anxious or worried about something, this prayer brings me that peace that passes all understanding.  When I express my concerns to God and ask that I be brought into alignment with His will and that His will be done, and when I determinedly follow Paul's advice to the Philippians - thanking God for all He's done and focusing my thoughts on what is "true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. . . . [and] excellent and worthy of praise", my worries ARE lifted - whether or not I am suddenly given some sort of material answer to my prayers.

Father, I am so grateful this morning for your love and understanding.  May I continually become more deeply rooted in you and your love.  As I go through my day this day, may I focus my thoughts on the beautiful and positive things in my life - your many gifts to me.  Father, thank you for so many blessings in my life - and for many, many answered prayers even when I didn't fully meet these conditions!  I love you, Father!