Different Kinds Of Prayer (Part 8)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Thursday August 6, 2009

Jesus told us to pray to the Father in Jesus' Name:

John 16:23,24 (NIV)
23. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

The strongest assertion that can be made in the English language is to say "I will" or "I shall". Jesus said that the Father WILL give us whatever we ask in His Name! The Greek word "didomi" is translated that way by Bible scholars, but there is an even stronger assertion made in John 14:14:

John 14:13,14 (NIV)
13. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14. You may ask [me] for anything in my name, and I WILL do it.

It should be noted that the word "me" is not in the original Greek; we are not to ask Jesus. The KJV correctly translates verse 14:

John 14:14 (KJV)
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Here the Greek word "poieo" is used. Greek scholar P.C. Nelson wrote about John 14:14, saying that there are a number of idioms in Greek that cannot be translated exactly into English because there is no exact English counterpart. The translators made the strongest statement they could in English by using the word "will" in John 14:14, but according to Nelson, a more literal rendering of the Greek would be: "If you shall ask any thing in my name and I don't have it, then I will make it for you!"

That's a pretty strong assertion! The only stipulation is that we ask in Jesus' Name, and looking at John 16:23,24, that we ask THE FATHER in Jesus' Name!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word that tells me so much about You. Thank You for living in me by Your Holy Spirit. Help me understand Your Word better so I can allow You to govern my life in every way.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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