289. Prayer

We can pray much before it can be said that we are really praying.

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14.

Praying in Jesus’ name means that I pray according to the will of Jesus Christ, which is the will of God. “Jesus’ name” is only found on the way He walked. When we pray for all sorts of things according to our own desires, and then tack Jesus’ name on the end of it, this is not praying in Jesus’ name. Actually, then we are only praying in our own name, and usually we do not get what we prayed for. However, when we pray according to God’s will, we know that we have the things we have asked for.

Prayer according to God’s will is always in the direction of keeping God’s commandments. Jesus kept God’s commandments and was heard because of His godly fear. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Verse 15. We can only expect our prayers to be answered if what we pray for can lead us to Christ, or lead us further on the Way, which is Christ. Prayers that only serve to satisfy our lusts and desires will not be answered.

Praying for the Holy Spirit is according to God’s will, as is praying for wisdom. James 1:5. If we do not receive what God wants to give us, it is either because there are things in our life which we are not willing to give up, or because we are possessed by evil spirits that are binding us firmly to the earth. God longs to give and you long to receive, and yet your prayers are not answered. That is because there is a third element which is hindering. This third element must be removed; then your prayers will be answered.

Answers to prayer always come by faith. This faith dwells in the depths of our inner man. We have it within ourselves. That is why Jesus rebuked His disciples repeatedly because of their unbelief. If you are sick and you believe that you will continue to be sick—even though you pray to become well—you will continue to be sick. But, if you believe that you are healed when someone prays for you, you will be healed. Jesus said: “According to your faith be it done to you.”

The kingdom of heaven is within you. So we know that the spiritual gifts, which come from the kingdom of heaven, are also within us. That is why we hear people who have not yet manifested these spiritual gifts say, for example: “I do not speak in tongues, but I know that I have it within me.” Likewise: “I have never spoken prophetically, but I know that I have it within me.”

If this is the case with some spiritual gifts, it must be true for all the gifts, including the gift of healing. The gifts do not fall down from heaven; we must draw them out from our inner being by prayer and faith. This is because we are baptized by one Spirit to be one body with Him in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.