 Our sermon title this morning is Draw Near to God in Prayer. Draw Near to God in Prayer. We're in John 16. In this passage of text that ends John 16, before we hear the Lord Jesus Christ himself pray in John 17. But in John 16 verses 23 through 33. Now on your notes, you have five points for the sermon. You can cross out the two through four. We're just going to get to point one this morning. You're probably already used to doing that. But you can just cross out those other four. Use all the lines for point one on your notes. We're going to talk this morning about drawing near to God in prayer. We're going to cover point one on your notes that joy, joy, prayer is provided for our joy. It's one of the reasons that we have the blessing of prayer. The blessing of prayer has been afforded to us by God's grace. We're going to be talking about that this morning. Now if you remember from our text, our context, right? Jesus and his disciples are walking on the east side of the city now on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. It's the same night on which our Lord was betrayed and he will very soon be arrested. He's going to be tried, mocked, beaten, scourged and crucified and he will die. The disciples in that context now are about to face their most difficult trial by far. The most difficult trial they've ever faced. Peter will deny him three times before the night is through. The other disciples are going to be scattered in fear, even the disciple whom Jesus loves. We know that's John himself here writing this Gospel. He's soon back to his fishing. They love the Lord Jesus Christ. They love the Lord. They've spent three years in ministry with him and they just want to be with him. They enjoy, they love his presence with them. And we can imagine that, right? We long to be with the Lord. If you're in Christ, you long to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. He's made it clear that he's going back to the Father and that's going to happen by a gruesome death. He's told his disciples, he's told these men that when he leaves, the world that focused its hatred and hostility on him will now turn and face their undiluted hostility and hatred on them. Just like it hated him and persecuted him, it will hate them and persecute them. But then he says something very profound in verse 20. The world is going to be rejoicing, but they're going to be in great sorrow. They're going to be lamenting and weeping. He says to them in verse 20, most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful. But then at the end of verse 20, something very profound, but your sorrow, the Lord says, will be turned into joy. Just like in verse 21, a woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come. But as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore, you now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you. Just like the disciples, right? We, on this side of the cross, on this side of the resurrection, we can see that the very same event that caused sorrow, great sorrow is the very same event that led to the greatest cause for joy. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. All that sorrow, all that persecution, all that pain, hostility, all the trials, all the tribulation, all the adversity, all the tears, all the pain is now experienced in the context of that glorious truth. And it's truth in which you and I as Christians, it's truth in which we rejoice. We rejoice. The victory is won. The Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. My debt, your debt has been paid. My sins, your sins have been atoned for if you're in Christ, right? My guilt has been removed. God's justice has been satisfied. God's wrath has been propitiated. For those in Christ, he's conveyed us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of his love. Nothing can separate me. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. All that difficulty, right? All those trials now sanctifying us, working for us, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Sorrow and pain isn't removed in the Christian life, it's reframed, do you see? When you go through sorrow, when you go through difficulty, adversity, you go through it in the context of these glorious truths in which we rejoice. Any difficulty you face in the Christian life, you can face with a cause for great rejoicing. All that refers, that joy, all that refers to the joy that we have and the great truths of our faith, and we should rejoice over those truths. Truths that the Spirit of God reveals to us through His Word and then plants deep within our heart. We need to rejoice over those truths planted within our hearts and minds by the Spirit of God from the Word of God. Now think also now of our recent study together in the Gospel of John. There are many causes for joy, right? Many promises that the Lord gives us as causes for our joy. In chapter 14, we experience joy by His abiding Word or by abiding in His Word. In chapter 15, we experience joy by abiding in His love. In chapter 15, we experience joy through consistent obedience and fruit bearing. In chapter 16, we experience joy in the reality of the resurrection and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ promised to be with us from now until the end of the age. But today in chapter 16 verses 23 through 33, we experience joy through prayer. We experience joy, the joy of the Lord through prayer. He says at the end of verse 24, ask and you will receive so that your joy may be full. I want to spend some time in our text today, right? Following the Lord's lead here from John chapter 16 and exhort us to draw near to God in prayer. To draw near to God in prayer. The Lord's intent here in this section of John 16 is to reassure His disciples to encourage them with the reality of their access to God in prayer. And we want to stir ourselves up to prayer through the same encouragement, through the same exhortation, right? We want to be people of prayer. And maybe you would confess with me. I may be the only one I'm willing to admit it, right? Maybe you would confess also that sometimes prayer is a struggle. Sometimes prayer, and I've heard it named one amen. There's just one of you that struggles with me. Sometimes prayer is a difficulty. Sometimes prayer is a struggle. And I confess and we have to confess to our shame that there have been times, maybe many times when we've struggled in prayer. Many people that I've talked to would confess the same difficulty. That's not unusual to the Christian life. There are volumes written on this subject. Many books that you read on prayer, the authors are confessing their struggle, their difficulty with prayer. The discipline, the duty and the delight of prayer. Maybe you've experienced that also. I'm becoming increasingly convinced, the longer that time goes by, that the sin of neglecting God in prayer is one of the most common offenses of the Christian. Consider with me for a moment your own experience with this, right? Your own experience in your own Christian life. Have there been times in your Christian life when your strength is small, when your zeal for the Lord is quenched or dried up? Have there been times in your Christian life, despite all that we have to hope in and to hope for? Have there been times in your Christian life where your hope is feeble? Why should our hope be feeble? Why should our strength be small? We have the greatest glories to rejoice in. Have there been times in your Christian life when your love for the Lord has grown cold? Why? Why would it be that with him who is altogether lovely, that our love for him would grow cold? Have there been times when your progress is hindered, when you're just not making progress in the Christian life that you want to make for the glory of God, for the glory of his name, for the good of your own soul? Have there been times when your battle with sin feels more like a flogging, more defeat than victory? Have there been times in your Christian life when your joy is absent? Have you think about those times? If you're honest with yourself, honest with the Lord, there have been those times. What was your prayer life like? Maybe leading up to that time, maybe through that time. What was your prayer life like? A. W. Pink said this, he said, Most Christians expect little from God, ask little, and therefore receive little, and are content with little. Often Christians rejoice little, hope little, serve little, love little, progress little, evangelize little, read the Bible little. And the connection I think that is made in Scripture, and here specifically from John 16, is that's tied to prayer. That's tied to your prayer life. A practical, very practical, very glorious and blessed means of God, means of grace that is prayer. I acknowledge that I don't believe that we do an overly faithful job of praying. This is an area where we need to improve, where we need to be faithful. We need to be stirred up. We need to be exhorted. We need to believe Christ. And I pray that the Spirit of God would come, and this text would stir us up. Over the next couple of weeks, as we work in John 16, pray that this text would stir us up to more faithful and more fervent prayer. God glorifying Christ exalting, spirit dependent, mind and heart transforming, man diminishing, sin conquering, hope fueling, fruit bearing prayer. And all that for the glory of God, certainly. But so that, chapter 16, your joy may be full. Draw near to God in prayer 1.1 on your notes, because prayer is provided for our joy. One of the reasons that we pray is for our own joy. One of the blessed purposes of prayer is our own joy. Draw near to God for your joy, right? Look at verse 23. And in that day, you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. Until now, you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy may be full. As we consider these two verses, right? Point 1 on your notes. Remember our context. Remember where we're at, right? He's leaving them. The Lord Jesus Christ is leaving his disciples. He's departing by means of the cross. And he's going back to be with the Father. And they're going to face tremendous sorrow at his death. Lamenting and weeping. They will cry out. We talked about that last sermon. They're going to face the hostility and the hatred of this world. The Lord says in verse 23, in that day, right? In the day when I'm no longer with you physically, in the day after I've departed to be with the Father, in that day after Jesus Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father, he says, you'll ask me nothing. Why is that? Because he's no longer physically with them, right? Pretty straightforward. He's no longer going to be physically with them. And so he says, truly, truly, most assuredly, amen, amen, I say to you, in that day, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. He says in verse 24, along the same lines, he says until now, until this point, you've asked nothing in my name. Because he's been with them. He's been with them physically. They had asked him for a lot, haven't they? But they haven't asked the Father in his name for those things. Lord Jesus Christ was among them physically. They asked him. A pretty straightforward so far in 23 and 24. But this also communicates three very important points. Three important points. The first, and this is encouraging to them, reassuring to them, and it should be encouraging and reassuring to us as we consider these things. Point one, their relationship to God will not be cut off at the death of Christ. It will be enhanced. It's to their advantage that he goes away, because when he goes away, he's going to send the Spirit, the Helper, and also they're going to have access to God in prayer in his name. God the Son. Think about the Trinitarian presence here with the believer. God the Son promised that he would not leave them orphans. He said he would come to them and he promised, Matthew chapter 28, low that he would be with them even to the end of the age. We have the presence of God the Son. God the Holy Spirit is going to come to them. He's going to guide them into all truth. He's going to teach them all things. Jesus Christ said he's going away and he will send the Spirit to them. Another will be accessible to them in prayers offered in Jesus' name. Their relationship to God will not be cut off when the Lord Jesus Christ dies. But second, what he's saying here in verses 23 and 24, mark the beginning of a new period, a new era if you will in redemptive history. That day or those days that follow the death, burial, resurrection, ascension of Christ, the days that we are in right now are days in which to pray in Jesus' name is a new covenant blessing. Blessings that Jesus Christ secured at the cross. Blessings that he purchased for us by shedding his blood, right? The blessing, the joy of being able to go to the Father in his name and pray. He says until now they've asked nothing in his name. But when that day comes, ask, he says, and you will receive so that your joy may be full. So adding to the joy of seeing Christ after his resurrection, they will also have this joy of access to the Father in Christ for their prayers to be answered. Third point though is this. He ties our praying directly to joy in the Christian life. We ask in his name and the Father gives us what we ask for so that our joy may be full. So now here's the intent. If you look at verses 23 and 24, here's the intent or the promise, if you will, those verses. Ask or pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and two things are going to happen. The first is this. You're going to receive whatever you've asked for. And secondly, your joy will be full. I think there are a lot of cases in which genuine Christians have difficulty with both of those two statements. They have no problem seeing in Scripture the necessity to pray, right? And if you're not praying, I know you're convict. If you're a genuine Christian, you're convicted over your lack of prayer. You want to do better in prayer. You want to commune with God in prayer. You want to draw near to him in prayer. You want better prayer life, right? But a lot of genuine Christians have difficulty with the next two statements. Listen, if you pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, two things are going to happen. Two things are going to happen. You will receive whatever you've asked for. And secondly, your joy will be full. Now this can be abused in one of two directions, right? One of two directions. The first is this. On one side, you have health, wealth, prosperity teachers, right? Word of faith, false teachers that basically turn God into a genie or more appropriately for this time of year into Santa Claus, right? If you've just been nice rather than naughty, you'll get what you've asked for. And the word of faith, false teachers will tell you, listen, don't doubt. If you doubt, that's a lack of faith. You won't get what you asked for. And listen, when you pray, if you don't get what you asked for, it's because your faith is little. You need to increase your faith. Word of faith, false teachers will even say that you need to have faith in your faith to get what you've asked for. It's a ludicrous, absurd, unbiblical, vicious, wicked cycle that diminishes prayer. There's no relationship to genuine biblical prayer. Certainly not prayer in his name, right? And that causes difficulty. That thought process causes difficulty sometimes for genuine Christians. We're going to go over that a little bit today. People essentially, with that kind of a thought process, are essentially trying to extort from God what they want. I've really had my eye on that new Cadillac. And the Lord says that whatever I pray, whatever I ask in his name, he's going to do it for me. He's going to do it for me. They forget 1 John 5, whatever you ask according to his will. Forget all those other passages of the Bible. If I pray and I pray with enough faith, it's going to come to me and you end up praying. Self-serving, self-indulgent, selfish, hypocritical, wicked prayers. Alec Mottier, commentator said this. He said, If it were the case that whatever we ask, God was pledged to give, then I for one would never pray again because I would not have sufficient confidence in my own wisdom to ask God for anything. Let that sink in for a minute, right? That's one side. That's one way in which it can be abused. On the other side, you have genuine Christians that don't believe it. You have genuine Christians that don't believe it. Genuine Christians who don't pray in faith because they don't believe God for his promise. They don't know what the text means. And so they pray with no confidence in Christ for what God in his sovereignty will do. Many not believing in prayer, not believing in Christ for answered prayer, don't pray as they should. Don't pray as they should. And their prayer, that kind of prayer, certainly doesn't eventuate in their joy. So point one on your notes, prayer is provided in part for our joy. So here are some questions we want to spend some time answering from verses 23 and 24. What does it mean to pray then in Jesus' name? That's important, right, from the text? Do we really get whatever we ask for? What does that look like? And how is that connected to joy in the Christian life? And we want to put some definition around this so that we can pray with faith in Christ for this promise and that our prayers can be fueled and motivated by this promise and that it can be fueled and motivated by our joy in prayer, trusting in Christ for the fact that God will answer these prayers, not denying anything to Christ, answering these in his name in the same sense that we would pray in his name. Now the best place for us to start is by looking at our context. This isn't the first time, if you've been with us through John, isn't it the first time that we've heard this promise from the Lord? The Lord has made similar statements now three times that we've already looked at two of those. In John chapter 14, John chapter 15, John chapter 16, all these three locations, the Lord exhorts us to prayer and to prayer in Jesus' name. And then we see as we get to John 17 that the Lord himself is going to pray and we look forward to looking at that prayer. So let's look at the first place in which this was given to us in John chapter 14. Turn back there with me. John chapter 14. We want to look in our context here at this promise from the Lord. It's not the first time we've heard it. John chapter 14 and look down at verse 12. Now here Jesus is instructing his disciples again. It's the same conversation, right? Just a little bit earlier in the evening, they were talking about this very thing. John chapter 14, verse 12, he says this, most assuredly, again, amen, amen, right? Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also. And greater works than these he will do because I go to my Father. And we connected that when we went through that passage together. We connected that to the work of the Holy Spirit in and through his people in the missionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ with the gospel. The greater works are related to preaching the gospel and sinners being converted to Christ in the power of the Spirit of God, right? Those are the greater works that we came to in verse 12. Then he says this in verse 13. Tied to those works, in the context of those works, he says, verse 13, and whatever, there it is again, right? And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. For the purpose that, or so that, the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now notice the similarities first between John chapter 14 and our text in John chapter 16. Note the similarities. The first similarity is this. Whatever you ask, right? Whatever you ask. That asking in both passages is in his name. There's a way in which the Lord Jesus Christ mediates our prayer or intercedes for us with prayer. We'll talk about that more as we come to verse 26. The intercession of the session of Christ will deal with that when we get to verse 26. But notice the next similarity, that he's going to do it. He's going to give you what you've asked for. Whatever you ask, if you're asking in his name, he's going to give you what you've asked for. Now notice some distinctions, some differences between John 14 and John chapter 16. In John chapter 14, this promise of God, promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, is tied to the work that Jesus did and the work, the greater works that they, the disciples are going to be doing. Right? Tied to those two things. The works that I do, he says in verse 12, he will do also. And greater works than these he will do because I go to my father. And in that context, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do so that the father may be glorified in the Son. And notice this next, the next distinction, is that the purpose is a little different in John 14 and in John 16. It has the purpose here in John chapter 14, verse 12, verse 13, that the father may be glorified in the Son. The purpose of the prayer in John chapter 14, is so that the father may be glorified in the Son. God is glorified in answering those prayers. I think about it and put it together from John chapter 14, right? He connects our prayer to the work that he's given us to do and the greater works that we will do in Jesus' name. Specifically, the great commission, evangelizing, sharing the gospel with lost people and seeing them saved in the power of the Holy Spirit. He connects our prayer to the work that we have to do to the work that Jesus did and as we carry on the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did, as we carry on the work of sharing the gospel, pleading with lost sinners to turn to Christ, you can ask him whatever you need for that mission, whatever you need in that context, you can ask him in accord with that work and he will give it. He'll give it. That's a glorious promise. The only condition here in John chapter 14 is that it is in his name for the glory of God in Christ, not for our own glory, right? It's a blessed promise. It's a blessed promise. The condition is that it is in his name. Whatever you ask, verse 13, in my name, that will I do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. It's going to be in his name for the glory of God in Christ, not for your own glory, not for your own glory. If you think about it that way now in John chapter 14, the whatever in verse 13 is defined by those conditions, isn't it? Think about that for a moment. It's not whatever, Lord, I need that Cadillac so I can make it across town to share the gospel with those people in that neighborhood. No, the whatever in verse 13 is qualified by the fact that it's prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when we're talking about what that means. And it's qualified by the fact that it would be glorifying to God the Father that he may be glorified in the Son, not for our own glory. It's in his name and for his glory, right? That's the condition. It's in his name and for his glory. Now by way of illustration, I thought about that, right? Prayer, prayer must be in his name and for God's glory. It eventuates in God's glory. God glorifies himself, exalts the Son in answering prayers that are made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that align with his mission and align with his work, right? And he rejoices to answer that prayer. I thought about that in reference to the Lord's prayer in Luke chapter 11. In Luke chapter 11, the disciples ask the Lord to teach them to pray, right? It sort of speaks sometimes to the difficulty and the struggle with prayer. We need to be taught to pray. So the disciples ask Lord, teach us to pray. So in verse two, the Lord says to them, listen to this, when you pray, say this, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, right? hallowed reverenced be your name, worshipped be you, be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done in heaven and on earth as it is in heaven. I think about that text, right? To pray for the glory of God. To pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of his name is to do these things. It's to hallow or reverence his name. It's to seek the coming of his kingdom. It's to seek his will and all things, right? So if you want to pray for the glory of God, run your prayers through that filter. Hallow reverence, respect God's name, fear God, right? See him as holy and worthy of prayer, worthy of adoration, right? Worthy of your dependence, worthy of your faith. Hallow his name and seek the coming of his kingdom. Seek the coming of his kingdom, right? Seek his will in all things. You're praying to the glory of God. Just tie those two things together. So that, verse 13, the Father may be glorified in the Son. Look with me at the next place where we touched on, John chapter 15. John chapter 15 and drop down to verse 5. Again, within this one conversation, before his death, his last words, his farewell discourse with his disciples, he's giving them parting instruction and he spends three portions of the conversation here on prayer. John chapter 15, look at verse 5. He says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so you will be my disciples. Now, we're going to put together John 14, John 15, and John 16. Think about the similarities between John chapter 14 now and John chapter 15. Similarities are this. One, it says that you will ask what you desire, verse 7, right? If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire. The other similarity is the last phrase in that verse, it shall be done for you. That's not a... I want to emphasize this, right? That's not an empty promise. This is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. These are the words of God, the Holy Spirit inspired text of Scripture and God is saying that whatever you ask in His name, He will give it to you. It's going to be, verse 7, it shall be done for you. Here, distinctions, if we look at differences between John 14 and John 15, here prayer is related directly to fruit bearing in the Christian life. Fruit bearing in the Christian life. Your prayer related to bearing fruit will be done for you. Why? Well, because you bearing fruit glorifies God. If that prayer is made in Jesus' name to the glory of God the Father, then your bearing fruit in answer to prayer glorifies God the Father so it shall be done for you. That make sense? The condition here is a little different. The condition here is that you abide in Him and His words abide in you. So now put it together. John 14, John 15, similar promises, right? Whatever you ask in His name, that's what He's going to do. Condition in John chapter 14 is that you're carrying on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing the gospel, pleading with lost interest to turn to Christ, that you're laboring in that mission. And when you labor in that mission and you pray for what you need in that mission, in His name, for the glory of God in Christ, not for your own glory, He's going to give it to you. You're going to have what you need. In John chapter 15, ask what you desire with reference to fruit bearing. Ask what you desire, right? It's going to be done with you. When you abide in Him, when His words abide in you, you ask in His name to the glory of God the Father, right? He is going to do it. It shall be done for you. Now, He clarifies that further down in verse 16. Drop down to verse 16 with me. He says in verse 16, you did not choose me, right? But I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain. That whatever you ask, here it is again, right? That whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. These things I command you that you love one another. That says in verse 16, He chose His disciples. You do not choose me, the Lord says. You didn't choose me. I chose you and I appointed you with a purpose. Your purpose is that you should go and bear fruit. Now, when we were in this text, not long ago, we know that He's talking about fruits there of character, right? Fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, those fruits of the Spirit. But He's also talking about fruits of conduct, right? Obedience to the word of God, not committing sins of omission, not committing sins of commission, but obeying the Lord Jesus Christ. And also, He's talking about fruits in the Great Commission, obeying the Great Commission, living that out. And in that, in your conduct, in your character, in the Great Commission, your mission as a Christian is to bear fruit. Now, here, that is the condition that you bear fruit, right? The condition is that you bear fruit. You're given a mission. When you labor in that mission and you bear lasting fruit, then what does the text say? Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. He'll give it to you. Here, if you look at John 15, the purpose of prayer is answered prayer, right? If you abide in me, my words abide in you, verse 7, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you by this. My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. You bear much fruit. You pray for fruit. He answers the prayer for fruit. You bearing fruit glorifies Him. And you bearing fruit is one of the conditions for answered prayer. Be a fruit-bearing Christian. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. So, what's the exhortation from John 15? It's to get work in your mission. Get to work on the mission that you've been given. Labor with Christ in the gospel, right? The power of the Spirit. Get to work on that mission. Let me give you another text from John's writings. Go with me to 1 John. 1 John. We're going to put all these together in just a moment here. Look at 1 John chapter 5 and drop down to verse 14. If you're thinking in a self-indulgent, selfish, self-centered, man-centered kind of way, then you may be discouraged right now thinking, you know, I'm not going to get the Cadillac. Right? Right? But if you're thinking like a Christian and you desire God's glory and you desire that Christ would be exalted and you desire that sinners would come to Christ and you desire that God would hear and answer your prayer, then this should be joy producing in you, right? You desire to commune with God in prayer. You desire to do the will of the Lord Jesus Christ to obey his word, for him to abide in you and for you to abide in him, right? For his word to abide in you, for you to abide in his love. And this is a glorious promise. Listen, you follow the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and your prayers are, will be, shall be answered. He will do it for you when you pray in his name for his glory. You've got to stop praying for your own name for your own glory, all right? First John chapter 5 verse 14. Now this is the confidence that we have in him. All of this should build tremendous confidence. These are promises from God. This is the confidence that we have in him. That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Verse 15, not just hears us, we know that he hears us. Whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. Now here, the condition, first John chapter 5 is obvious, isn't it, right? If we ask anything or whatever we ask, according to his will, if it's according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, verse 15, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we've asked of him. This is the passage that health, wealth, prosperity guys like to forget. You and I can think of many things that we can pray that are not according to his will, right? Many things that could be prayed that are not according to his will. Pray in accord with his will. And when you pray in accord with his will, whatever you ask, you know that you have the petitions that they've asked of him. Even a genuine Christian, you may desire things. You may even desire things that are not according to his will. There are many ways that a genuine Christian can pray, and they can pray not in accord with the will of God. We know that to be true. But when we pray in accord with the will of God, we know that we have the petitions that we've asked of him. There was a quote from the quote from Mottier that I was thinking of that so true, isn't it, that oftentimes the thing about that, that if God were pledged to give us every single thing that we asked for, he would stop praying because he didn't have any confidence in his own wisdom to pray for those things that are really good for him. God answers prayer. Oftentimes, doesn't answer prayer in the way that you would think or expect or want him to answer the prayer. But you can rest assured that prayer is always answered for the genuine Christian and always answered in accord with their good. He works in his sovereignty, works all things together for the good of those who are the called according to his purpose. He's working that together for your good. And it's a great grace and a great blessing from God that sometimes we don't get what we ask for, right? Go back to John chapter 16, John chapter 16, verse 23. In that day, the Lord says, you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you've asked nothing in my name. Ask, you will receive so that your joy may be full, so that your joy may be full. So here again, now in John chapter 16, we see again, similarities, right? Praying in his name. We also see John chapter 16, verse 23, that whatever you ask, whatever you ask, the Father is going to do it, you will receive it. The distinction here is the purpose. The purpose in verse 24 is so that your joy may be full, your joy may be full. What gives a true Christian genuine joy? What are genuine Christians? What do they rejoice over? One thing is God's glory. I start putting the text together now. One of the things that causes genuine joy in the life of a genuine Christian is to know that you are laboring and praying and praying and laboring to God's glory, right? You want to see God glorified. You want to see the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up his name, famous among the Gentiles, right? What gives a true Christian genuine joy? Abiding in Christ and in his word. His will in all things, right? Your will on earth as it is in heaven. That gives a genuine Christian joy. What causes a true Christian to rejoice? Fruitfulness in his own life, right? When you see fruit in your own life, doesn't it? Isn't it a cause of joy to you and to know that it's him who has at work in you according to his will, according to his good pleasure, right? That gives the genuine Christian joy. Fruitfulness in his mission to rejoicing at the evangelism testimony this morning. What an awesome example of that very thing that when you're faithful to go out and labor with the gospel in the work that the Lord has given you to do in the Great Commission, when somebody responds to that in repentance and faith, it's a cause for rejoicing, cause for rejoicing. When all those things, when that's what your prayers are about, right? When that's your motivation, when that's your heart, when that's what your prayers are about, you get whatever you ask for, right? God's glory, his will to be done. You would abide in Christ, abide in his word, that you would bear fruit, fruit of character, fruit in your living, fruit in the Christian life, fruit in the Great Commission. When that's what your prayers are about, when that's your motivation, when that's your heart, when that's your desire, when that's your joy, right? When that's your joy, you get whatever you ask for and your joy in that is off the charts. Isn't it fullness of joy? Your joy may be not partial, right? Your joy may be, you know, mediocre. So your joy may be full. So your joy may be full. So that whatever we ask for, right? Whatever you ask the Father in my name is condition. We have to understand the condition and that condition is for your good, for my good. Those conditions are for the glory of God. If that condition wasn't there, right? And it's just whatever you ask in my name, that's not for the glory of God. God turns into a genie. And we ask a miss because we intend to spend it on our lusts. You see? So what do you do then? You keep praying. You pray. You pray in faith. You pray in hope. You pray with great expectation. You keep praying with gratefulness on your heart that God's answers are wiser than your prayers. And you keep praying. Spurgeon said this. Because God is the living God, he can hear. Because he is a loving God, he will hear. And because he is our covenant God, he has bound himself to hear. It's a promise of God. A promise of God. Labor and pray. Labor and pray. Labor and pray. We're going to talk about it as we get to verse 26. We'll talk more about Christ's intercession for us. What it means that Christ in this is our mediator. One way in which that's the case is that through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, he has given us access to the Father in the Son. Look at Hebrews chapter 4 with me quickly. I'll spend just a little bit of time here. Hebrews chapter 4. To pray in his name is to acknowledge the access that we have to God through and only through the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you pray, right? It's not a light thing that we say in Jesus' name. Sometimes we can think that way. It's sinful and neglectful to think that way. It's not a light thing. We have access to God the Father only in the Lord Jesus Christ. If... You have no access to God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, right? You would be turned into an instantaneous grease spot if you attempted to access God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. You can't. You can't access God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. It's through the Lord Jesus Christ that we have access in prayer to the Father. We can't come in our own name, right? Can't come in your own righteousness. Can't come in your own name considering our need, right? Considering our depravity God has given us a mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given us His Son to be our advocate. Look at chapter 4 and drop down to verse 16. We're backing up to verse 14. It says, Yet without sin. Because of Jesus. Because of His work. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. He's given us access. If you remember the story of His crucifixion and the death of Christ, right? In understanding the Jewish temple you had various courts that separated people from the Holy of Holies which was thought to contain the presence of God where the ark was, right? And the priests, the high priests could only go into the Holy of Holies once per year to atone for the sins of the people and for no other reason and only that one time per year and only that one person. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross Bible says that the veil in the temple the holy place from the most holy place that veil that separated men from access to God was ripped from top to bottom. The veil was torn open. If you look at Ephesians chapter 2 the middle wall of separation between men and God has been torn down by the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in Christ that we have access to God the Father here specifically to pray to him to pray and to expect in faith that he hears our prayers it's through Christ and only through Christ that we can pray to the Father that's why when you pray it's important to acknowledge that drawing near to God. Listen Father I acknowledge that the only reason I can breathe out a prayer to you right now is because of your grace shown to me in Christ for no other reason can I come to you. I am worthy unclean depraved and apart from Christ I deserve nothing but wrath nothing but hell nothing but your judgment but because of Christ I could come right and you come wrapped clothed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness right otherwise apart from his righteousness we would be consumed apart from Christ we have no hope of access to God Christ intercession also involves all that he is and all that he's done Spurgeon said this also he said the granting of prayer when offered in the name of Jesus reveals the Father's love to him and the honor which he has put upon him prayers in his name few moments we have left think with me for a moment about what prevents our joy then what prevents or hinders our joy often genuine Christians simply don't believe they don't believe and so they don't pray the fact that they don't pray reveals that they do not believe right or when they pray they pray with doubting look at a little tour through James James chapter 1 James says if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives liberally to all without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in in faith that's right without doubting he who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed by the wind let not that man suppose that he'll receive anything from the Lord he is a double minded man unstable in all his ways we often have no joy in prayer because we ask don't receive because we ask amiss James chapter 4 you ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures adulterers and adulteresses do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God often we're joyless or ineffectual so to speak in prayer because we're not praying fervently in righteousness for the Lord's glory James chapter 5 is anyone among you suffering let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing Psalms is anyone among you sick let him call for the elders of the church let him pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up if he has committed sins he will be forgiven confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produces fruit we consider prayer I want to consider prayer from John 16 over the next couple of weeks let me give you some exhortations to think about one would be this set aside a time and have a plan for prayer in your Christian life set aside a time don't make it a lesser priority one pastor called it the highest blessing don't make it a lesser priority set a time have a plan I want to convince you of this one Puritan said that the first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day set aside a time have a plan it's not heartless or legalistic to have a time and have a plan prayer is a priority it's not a leftover it's not something that you merely squeeze in as you have opportunity throughout the day you can't pray without ceasing pray in all those circumstances don't get me wrong don't take my too far with what I'm trying to say plan for prayer have a time have a plan set it aside as a priority Calvin said that prayer is the chief exercise of faith the chief exercise of faith prayer is often a litmus test of your devotion to Christ your faith in God have a time have a plan if you want to write these down I know the brothers talk to myself one time or another I've gone through Matthew Henry's method for prayer and let me give you some things to pray about considering having a plan and I've added one to Matthew Henry's list that I have in my own time the first one is drawing near drawing near to God and just drawing near by the blood of Christ pleading his merits through the veil of his flesh so to speak drawing near to God in Christ then the second would be adoration spend time adoring God adoring the Lord Jesus Christ how you do that inform through his word pray the Bible passages of scripture pray through the Psalms the Psalms exalt Christ exalt Christ in the Psalms second is third is confession so drawing near to God adoration confession confessing your sin confessing your need acknowledging your depravity the next is petition petition pleading with God Spurgeon said that pleading with God is the measure of prayer it's a substance of prayer pleading with God pleading with God petition next is Thanksgiving Thanksgiving next is intercession praying for others praying I've heard several people refer to it this way praying in concentric circles I usually feel extremely needy so I begin with my own my own needs and then I'll branch out to my wife then branch out to elders staff leaders in the church then to the church then to the kingdom you just pray in eccentric circles and it just helps you remember who to pray for the only way you can pray this way is to have a time and have a plan simply not going to happen in the three minutes while you're in the shower while you're driving your car doing other things next is to conclude commending yourself into the hands of God His sovereign grace and goodness to you and all of that thinking through the priorities how it would be your name your kingdom come your will be done set aside a time and have a plan for prayer secondly pray from the heart pray from the heart in worship is prayer a duty yes it is I was fixing my TV this week I was fixing my TV I was talking to someone about that and he asked me he said do you have the power on right now I'm like yes I do he turned the power off so prayer is a duty the way that a duty to the electrician is to turn the power off before he's working on electrical piece of equipment you'll die if you don't prayer prayer is a duty the way that a space helmet is duty to an astronaut leaving the module right or hazmat suit is for somebody entering a quarantined space it's a discipline it's a duty but it's a delight and it's an utmost need it's an utmost need you're going to pray from the heart in worship that prayer has to be informed by the word of God and what better way to inform your prayer from the word of God than by praying through text from the scripture praying through the bible Bunyan said that the best prayers have often more groans than words and Bunyan's thought in that is that it's from the heart and often times we don't always know what we ought to pray for as we should and so the spirit comes along with groanings which cannot be uttered and it should be fervent martinoy jones said there is no better index of one spiritual state and condition than one's prayers there's no better index of one's spiritual state and condition than one's prayers we want to be faithful in prayer amen we're faithful Lord in seeking him and faithful them in prayer with the expectation of faith that whatever we ask in his name he will do it amen let's pray we worship you Lord and right now Lord we acknowledge your sovereign will and power we acknowledge your covenant promises to your people that whatever we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you will do it because it glorifies you and exalts the sun it's for your glory it's for your names sake it's according to your word your will your mission your work your choice in praying according to that knowing that those prayers will be answered because those are our desires God we desire from the heart your glory we desire from the heart your will we desire to see Christ exalted we desire to see sinners come to saving faith we desire to see the saints edified and built up we desire to see your church prospered by your grace to us we desire those things that you desire so they are our great joy to pray for and we rejoice to see those prayers answered we've seen so many prayers answered in this place Lord we're so grateful to you for that we've prayed and you've been so faithful build our faith Lord we believe God help our unbelief help us to trust you more help us to rely upon you more help us to rejoice in you more for your glory God in Jesus name Amen