If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it…

John 14:13 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it…

This scripture is enough to make us want to shout isn't it? But then the devil reminds us of all the prayers that HE believes God has not answered. and our faith plummets through the floor.  But, we didn't pay attention to the rest of the story did we?

John 14:13-15 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.

There seems to be some guidelines that we may not notice. 

1. That the Father may be glorified in the Son.
There are times when God divinely instantaneous heals, leaving humble man in awe of His magnificent love and power.  Our souls and testimonies sing when we are receivers and witnesses of God’s divine power!  “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  (Joh 11:4 KJV)”

However, man’s finite mind does not understand why God sometimes delays healing by saying "wait a while", not realizing that waiting teaches the precious rewards of patience and trust “that the Father may be glorified in the Son”.   We are tempted to distrust God, but Jas 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

How should we respond when God says, “WAIT”? Heb 10:35-36 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 1Pe 1:7-9 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Even harder for our wills to understand is when God says "No".  How can the answer “NO” bring glory to God!  God, in his infinite wisdom, will say no to our petitions, even our healings because it is not His Will for us, because it will bring harm to us, or because it will teach us to fully and ultimately rely on Him. Like the Apostle Paul, sometimes we must face this possibility. 2Co 12:8,9 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Although Job was healed from his calamity at the time, he still had to ultimately suffer death as all men do.  Like Job, our hearts cry should always be Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.  (Job 13:15 KJV)

God’s goal for us is our perfection and He will provide the grace and the strength for our perfection to be attained.  2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.   

2. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. We are still commanded to ask until we receive the answer.  As in the parables of the friend and the widow knocking at the door (Luk 11:5-9 , Luke 18-2-8) We need to ask until we receive the difinitive answer.

3. If you love me, keep my commandments.

1Jn 3:21-22 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. (22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

However, if what we are asking for does not glorify the Father, and we aren't keeping our Lord's commandments, nor doing those things that are pleasing in his sight...then we certainly will not be able to  come confidently or boldly before the throne of God in the name of Jesus...in faith and prayer, believing that He will hear our petitions.

If our prayers are not being answered, we first need to sincerely search our own hearts. Are we pleasing to God and following His commandments?

Pro 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

If healing has not come, are there some things I need to do? First we need to conduct a SELF EXAMINATION to see if there is anything in our lives that come between us and God. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2Co 13:5

If we have searched our hearts and believe we are doing God's will then we need to sincerely ask God to search and try our hearts and reveal anything displeasing to Him for the heart is deceitful and we will also need a DIVINE EXAMINATION so that the Holy Ghost can reveal any thing the Lord disapproves of. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart….Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psa 26:2, 139:23, 24

The scriptures also command us to CONFESS OUR FAULTS. “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Jas 5:15,16
Are we, like Zacharius and Elisabeth, walking in ALL the commandments and the ordinances of the Lord?  “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”  Luk 1:6 

DO WE ABIDE IN ALL THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST?  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  (Joh 15:7 KJV)

DO WE CALL FOR THE ELDERS TO ANNOINT WITH OIL?  “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:” Jas 5:13-16   Amazingly, there are many who feel that this is unnecessary, while others may feel their affliction is just too minor to bother God with or right the opposite, too big for God to deal with.

DO WE PARTAKE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER?  “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”  1Co 11:28-31   Many fearing of taking the Lord’s Supper unworthily will absent themselves from this ordinance. But 1 Corinthians 11:28 commands us to examine ourselves and then partake of the Lord’s Supper. If we skip the ordinance willfully, then we’ll suffer the same curse as the unworthy. It is only through the blood of Jesus that we are made worthy. If we are not worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper, then we are sinners in need of repentance.

DO WE PARTAKE OF FEET WASHING?  “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Joh 13:13-17

ARE WE FAITHFUL IN TITHING and GIVING?  “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.” Mal 3:8-11

ARE WE FAITHFUL IN ATTENDANCE?  “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Heb 10:24-25   Mighty things happen when the "lively stones" of The Church of God are assembled. Faith is increased, compassion is stirred, and physical and spiritual healings occur. Individually our Faith may be strong or weak, but there is something about prayer of the corporate Body of Christ...a coming together that stirs the faith of man and the heart of God. 
The corporate prayers/compassion of the Body binds together to become stronger in faith and power. We are not independent of each other. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:16 KJV)  God is faithful to those who are His, especially those who are homebound or bedridden. But unfortunately, many are frequently lackadaisical about church attendance and still expect the full attention and blessings of the Father. How can we expect to be healed if we are not obedient to the Word of God?  

The scriptures assure us that our Heavenly Father loves us and that it is His good pleasure to hear and answer His children's prayers. 
Luk 11:9-13 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  (11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? (12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

DO WE POSSESS FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH?
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Heb 10:22-23 KJV
When anyone brings up the issue of “Faith”, many bristle; “How dare you question my faith!” The intent is not to question faith, (for God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith), but ask instead are our hearts “in full assurance (entire confidence) of faith”? 

We do need to examine in whom we place our faith. Physicians (whose human knowledge originated from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil) can only treat or suppress disease symptoms until the body’s natural immune system can have a chance to restore itself. Medicine used to treat diseases, frequently cause other equally dangerous and deadly diseases and addictions of their own.

We are not called to be conformed to this world. Only the blood of Jesus Christ, the Great Physician can divinely heal our bodies. We are called to partake of the Tree of Life, not the Tree of knowledge good and evil. The Scriptures do not say that turning to a physician or medicine is a sin, however as Bishop Robert Hawkins reminded in a convention message, “Even if we have a pocket or cabinet full of medicine, the Word of God still teaches Divine Healing and The Church of God does too.”

Do we hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering? Do we believe God? Do we believe that His Word is true? We trusted God for our Salvation, and there comes a point that we also learn to trust God for our healing, learning to rest in God first, instead of panicking in fear.

Luk 12:22-24, 27, 29-31
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?...(27) Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these....(29) And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.. (31) But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.


Some other guidelines for asking in prayer are:

Ask in Faith, nothing wavering:Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Ask in prayer, believing:Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Remember "wishes, whining, mumbling and grumbling" ain't Prayers.

Ask according to God's will:1Jn 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Ask for Wisdom:Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Do not ask amiss:Jas 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.