Ask anything according to God’s will and in His name, and He will do it!
Description: In Session 2 of the “Promises of God” series, Tricia Gunn discusses the will of God, how we know the will of God, and the truth that Jesus has fulfilled the will of God. She also explains what it means to pray “in the name of Jesus,” and shares many scriptures that encourage believers to ask for anything in His name, and He will do it.
Transcript of the teaching:
The will of God
1 John 5:13-15 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence [parresia] that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Last week we talked about how we can know the will of God. The will of God is in His word. His word is His bond. How word is His promise to us. When we see the desire of God for His people, we will know that this is His will. If we know His will, we can pray for that and expect Him to grant our requests. God is good and only good and only has good to give.
John 10:10 – The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. [God does not kill, steal or destroy] I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly
John 1:16, AMPC – For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
Romans 5:17 – For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, [Adam] much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. [It is God’s desire that we reign in life! So you can pray for that and expect it!]
Psalm 65:11, NLT – You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
What does God want for us? A life overflowing with abundance! The simplest way to know the will of God for you and your family is to look at Jesus in the gospels – serving his friends, sharing the Good news, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, defending the rejected, rebuking the hypocrites, raising the dead, forgiving the sinners and dying for the ungodly.
Jesus came to do the will of God
But before we look at the specific promises of God, we need to take a minute and look at His overall, ultimate will and promise for us: eternal fellowship and union. All of the other promises flow from that relationship. The ultimate will of God was fulfilled in Jesus when God sent His Son, His only Son, the Son that He loved for us. Jesus came in obedience with the purpose of doing the will of God.
He was the only human being born to die.
Luke 9:51 – [As the time of His crucifixion was nearing] Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…
Isaiah 50:5-8 – And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. 6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. 7 For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. 8 He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me?
Romans 5:19 – For as by one man’s disobedience [Adam’s] many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience [Jesus] many will be made righteous.
There was never even a hint that Jesus would falter in His purpose. He came on assignment from the Father:
Hebrews 10:9-10 – He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” [and what was that will?] He takes away the first [the Old Covenant of LAW and the barrier of sin that separated man from God – Romans 3:19-20 – Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.] that He may establish the second. [the New Covenant of GRACE where there remains no separation for believers] 10 By that will we have been sanctified [“Sanctified” means “made holy, set apart.” Past tense verb – PERFECT Greek tense – one time action, never to be repeated] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
Hebrews 10:16-23 – “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” [also read in Hebrews 8 and Jeremiah 31:31-34] 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” [This is the New Covenant that Jesus established] 18 Now where there is remission of these [a remission of sin – forgiveness of sins], there is no longer an offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness [parresia – free and fearless confidence] to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 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. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope [our joyful, confident expectation of good in our future] without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We have entered the holiest by new and living way. We are welcomed into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus. The veil has been torn.
There was a very thick veil of animal skin several inches thick as a barrier to the holy of holies in the temple. That veil represents the flesh of man and his unworthiness to enter the presence of God. Under the Old Covenant, only the high priest could go past this veil into the presence of God, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer the blood of the lamb on the Mercy Seat.
Jesus is now our eternal High Priest before God. He is not like the priests of the Old Covenant who were sinners subject to decay and death. He lives after the power of an endless life it says in Hebrews 7:16.
Hebrews 7:16 – …there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
Not only is He our High Priest, but He is the Mercy Seat upon which the blood was sprinkled. Mercy Seat literally means “propitiation” which means sacrifice for sin.
Romans 3:23-25 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [All men fall short of the glory of God’s righteousness as outlined in the law. BUT – we are] 24 being justified freely by His grace [we’re made righteous and ushered into His presence] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith… [Amplified: the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation]
The word “propitiation” is the Greek word “hilasterion,” and it literally means Mercy Seat. If you go to Greece and you pick up a Bible and read their Old Testament which is written in Greek (like ours is written in English), whenever you see the phrase “Mercy Seat,” you’ll see the word “hilasterion.”
Not only is Jesus our Mercy Seat, He is the perfect spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world with His own eternal blood. Not only is He our Lamb of God, He became the veil for us – He put on human flesh so that He could become sin that we might become righteous with His righteousness and be able to enter the presence of God and boldly approach His throne of unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor.
When Jesus cried “It is finished!” on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom by God Himself – now there was no barrier between God and man. We can now, by faith, enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God by the blood of Jesus.
In the Holy of Holies, there is no candle. There was a candelabra in the Holy Place of the Old Covenant Tabernacle outside of the Holy of Holies, but not beyond the veil. In the Holy of Holies in the presence of God there is no light but God Himself. There is no shadow. There is no contrast. And Jesus came to bring that pure Light to mankind.
John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Light is the revelation of God. Jesus came to show us who God is and what God is like.
John 14:9 – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.
Hebrews 1:3 – who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. [He was manifested in a body to take away our sins, then He sat down, the work is finished!]
Colossians 1:15 – He is the image of the invisible God
But those under the Old Covenant had a veil over their hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:15 – But even to this day, when Moses is read, [speaking of the first five books of the Old Testament, where we find the Old Covenant law] a veil lies on their heart.
The veil is a mirror of the flesh. The veil looks back at you and your disqualifications. Your limitations. Your sin. All of your disclaimers. You may say, “But you don’t know my situation. But you don’t know my husband. But you don’t know my kids. But you don’t know my boss. But you don’t understand what I’ve been through.”
I don’t, but I know my Jesus!
1 Corinthians 3:16-18 – Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord [Jesus] is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Beholding Jesus leads to transformation from the inside-out by the Holy Spirit. Many believers think that focusing on the flesh and sin and doing better is practical, but beholding the flesh is the ministry of death and condemnation. It does not minister life. Beholding Jesus minsters life and freedom is the most practical thing we can do. Do not behold the mirror of the veil of flesh. Behold the mirror of the face of Jesus and see who He has made you to become in Him!
1 John 4:17 – As He is so are we in this world.
Sadly, there are many who have a veil over their hearts. That veil tells them that they aren’t worthy to look into the face of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded [speaking of satan], who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Satan does not want anyone looking into the face of Jesus with no veil because he knows that it would be the starting point of discovering the goodness, mercy, and grace of God and living the abundance life.
2 Corinthians 4:6 – [In verse 6 it says – ] For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts [with no veil of condemnation covering our hearts] to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [The glory of God is His unspeakable goodness. Those Old Covenant believers had a veil over their hearts which kept them from seeing the goodness of God! But He has lifted the veil so we can see his goodness – ] in the face of Jesus Christ.
When we turn our eyes to Jesus, the veil of the law of sin, death, condemnation, lack, limitation, disqualification, unworthiness, and failure is removed, and we begin to see our “All-in All.” No longer are we self-occupied. We are Jesus-occupied. With Jesus nothing is impossible.
Jesus is everywhere in the Bible – throughout the Old Testament and the New. There’s an old saying – “the Old is the New concealed; the New is the Old revealed!” That’s why when we read the Old Testament, don’t look for you, look for Jesus! He reveals the heart of God and the nature of God.
But it’s only by the Spirit that we can know that things freely given to us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 – Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. [the abundance of His grace, the free gift of His righteousness – right standing before God] 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
In our natural minds we cannot conceive of God’s goodness. We only know how to compare good and evil. We only understand “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” We only understand light in terms of darkness. Perspective is formed by contrast and shadows. But there is no shadow with God. There is no one and nothing to compare to Him.
We can only receive His grace by the Spirit because otherwise it’s simply too good to be true. We can only receive His love by the Spirit because otherwise it’s simply too good to be true. We must renew our minds to the truth of who God is and what His desire is for us.
I want to start by reading a couple passages that are direct quotes of Jesus Himself that are so blunt with no contrast and no disclaimers that we can’t possibly grasp them without the help of the Holy Spirit. The words of Jesus are the words for God. The words of Jesus are the will of God.
In the name of the Father and the Son
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He spoke to His disciples in John 13-16, and then He prayed to the Father in John 17. And we should know for sure that Jesus’s prayers were the perfect will of God, and Jesus’s requests were granted.
John 17:11-23, NASB – Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
I won’t read the whole passage – but as a synopsis – we know the will of God from Jesus’s prayer:
- our union with the Godhead
- Jesus’s joy would be made full in us
- protection from the evil one
- being set apart from this world
- receiving His word – everything that He had spoken
- to be witnesses of God’s love in the world so that they will know Him, too.
Let’s look again at one verse from His prayer –
John 17:11 – Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
“Keep them through Your name” – keep – Greek word tēreō, meaning to attend to carefully, take care of; protect, to guard; preserve, hold fast. In other words, we are completely provided for, cared for, and held in the palm of His hand by His name.
His name represents His identity, His stake in the ownership of our lives, His level of power, and the extent of His authority. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray and He said,
Luke 11:2 – So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
“Hallowed” – Greek word hagiazō, meaning to make holy, consecrate, set apart, separate from profane or common things, to cleanse, to purify, to make free of guilt.
Jesus instructed that we should “hallow” the name of God – set apart the name of God, make holy the name of God. What does that mean? It means that we acknowledge that we are not praying to anything or anyone of this earth, and we are not trusting in anything or anyone of this earth, and we are not basing His response to us on anything or anyone of this earth – including our own inadequacies.
When we separate His name from profane/ natural/ common things, we are saying that His identity and ability are not limited by weakness, guilt, or finiteness. He is omniscient, omni-present, and omnipotent.
When Jesus instructed us to “hallow” God’s name, He is telling us to make a 180 degree distinction between God and man. In that same chapter Jesus continued to talk about prayer, and He again highlighted the difference between God and man:
Luke 11:5-8 – And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.”
Jesus was contrasting God with man. God is not like the so-called friend who cannot be bothered. God doesn’t get tired. He’s not irritable. Jesus went on to explain that we can ask anything good from God, and He will not withhold it from us:
Luke 11:9-13 – “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
In Matthew’s account in the NLT it says –
Matthew 7:11, NLT – So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
Jesus was saying that God was not like that friend who would only open the door because of shameless persistence and begging. Begging insinuates that the person doesn’t want to help. Jesus was saying the opposite. He was saying that God isn’t like that.
He would do it for friendship’s sake. In fact, not just for friendship’s sake, but for the sake of family. We are His children. Unlike us, He is the perfect Father. Jesus contrasted our heavenly Father with a human father and a human friend. He always wants to help and always comes through for us with good gifts.
Good [agathos] gifts [doma] – agathos – of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
In Luke 18, Jesus taught again about the difference between God and man, and about prayer by using a parable:
Luke 18:1-8 -Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, [NLT and NIV say, “always pray and never give up.”] 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ [who is our adversary? The devil. In 1 Peter 5 – he prowls around seeking whom he may devour, but we “Resist him, steadfast in the faith” – what is THE faith? It’s THE faith for righteousness through Jesus! And unlike this woman, we have a righteous Judge who judges righteously – He has judged the blood of His Son as perfectly perfect and completely complete. So when we go to Our Judge, He will always be on our side!] 4 And he [the unrighteous judge] would not [grant her request] for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God [our Righteous Judge] not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The contrast is between the unjust judge and our Righteous Judge. Jesus told this parable to show us that we “should pray and never give up.” What would it look like to “give up”? It would mean we stop praying. To stop praying means that we have given up on God. It might mean that we take matters in our own hands because we are tired of waiting. It would mean we are no longer “hallowing” the name of God. It would mean that we now considered the name of God no different than an earthly judge or any other human. It would mean that we do not believe that God has the power, the authority, or the desire to help us. That’s why Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Faith in what? God and His goodness.
Jesus taught through these parables that prayer is what we DO. Prayer is from a position of union with God gives us access to His grace. Prayer is not a symbolic act. Asking for help from God is acting on the truth that we cannot do anything without Him – even breathe. We are utterly dependent on Him, and laying our requests before Him is an act of humility.
I’ve heard it said that prayer changes us, not God – as if prayer is just something we do to make ourselves feel better. Not true! Faith doesn’t move God. He was already moved by love when He sent Jesus to the cross. Prayer is simply an act of faith to receive all that has already been provided through the cross. Prayer is what Jesus told us to do because God answers prayer! It’s simple. But we’re afraid to say it that simply because of what that might mean about us.
In other words, we begin to question by including the “if-then.” “But what are you saying? Are you saying that if I don’t pray, then God won’t help me?” “I, I, I.” We insert the “if-then” because our flesh is always geared toward self-occupation, self-righteousness, victimhood, and condemnation. In other words, “Are you trying to say that I don’t have enough faith and that’s why I have problems?”
All I know is that Jesus said to pray and not give up. And not lose heart. That’s enough for me. Jesus plus nothing. He will answer. He will come through with good.
Psalm 116:1-9, NLT – I love the LORD [Yahwah = Jesus] because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. 2 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! 3 Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “Please, LORD, save me!” 5 How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! 6 The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. 7 Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me. 8 He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. 9 And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth!
Ask anything
Back to the words of Jesus on the night He was betrayed. Some of the last words of Jesus are so challenging for our brains to understand. We are taught not to use words like “always” and “never” because statements with those kinds of words can’t possibly be true. But Jesus regularly used those types of words.
John 14:13-14, NLT – “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. [Anything???!!] Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
Ask “in His name” and He’ll do it. Period. What does “in the name of Jesus” mean? If you go “in the name” of someone, it means it’s as if they themselves are going. If you make a request in the name of that person, it’s as if that person is asking. So when you ask in the name of Jesus, it simply means it’s as if Jesus Himself is asking. The name of Jesus is not a lucky charm added to the end of a prayer. It is the name on the title deed of our lives.
Revelation 5:1-4 – And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, [unusual, quite exceptional way of getting an unusual amount of matter into a single volume. This is the Book of Life – “the manifestation of the sons of God”] sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. [The contents of the scroll revealed the future, and there was no one on earth worthy to break the seals and open it. This means we needed a Mediator.] 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
What this is talking about is Jesus has purchased the title deed to the earth with His own blood. He is worthy to open the seals on that title deed and claim it. Originally the earth belonged to God by creation. (Psalm 24:1). When God created man, He gave to man the earth and dominion over everything in the earth. (Genesis 1:26). But Adam turned rulership over the earth to satan when he chose not to believe God and obeyed the word of satan. He forfeited the earth over to satan, and satan became the ruler of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus called him the prince of this world. (John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11)
Jesus came to redeem the world back to God. Before He began His public, earthly ministry, satan took Him out into the wilderness and tempted Him. The 2nd temptation was to bow down to satan, and he would give Jesus the world. (Luke 4:6-7). Jesus did not dispute that claim or bow to satan, but instead He purchased the world back with His own blood. He is the only one who could pay for it. He is the only One worthy to open the seal, prove His ownership, and restore to us all that has been lost and stolen. So the Father has given us the authority and permission to use the name that is above every other name.
Philippians 2:9-10 – God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, [just as it says in Revelation 5 – ] of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. [In His name is complete authority over every ruler and principality and power and disease and sin and plan of man that can be named]
The angel Gabriel instructed Joseph to give the Son of God this name Jesus:
Matthew 1:21-23 – “She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, [Isaiah 7:14] saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
The Father exalted the Son by giving Him the name Jesus – Yeshua – which is the Hebrew word for “Jesus.” Yeshua means “Yahweh (the LORD JEHOVAH) is Salvation. For the Old Testament believers this name was the called the unmentionable name – too holy to even pronounce. And now we are called to invoke His name for everything! And the prophet Isaiah said, Yeshua is Immanuel, God with us – He saved us from our sins so that we could be together forever.
Yeshua/ Jehovah is LORD, all caps, in the Old Testament – four Hebrew letters – YHVH (tetragrammaton)
- Yud – open hand (5 fingers out)
- Hei – grace (window, revelation of grace)
- vav – nail (vav is like a conjunction. It’s a connecting word. A nail connects)
- Hei – grace (window, revelation of grace)
God’s name, YHWH, is “Open hand of grace, nail in grace.” Who is that? Jesus! It’s a picture of the cross. Jesus is YHVH – Great I AM, The God who Is, Was, and Is to come. Beginning and the end. The first and the last. Our All-in-ALL.
Revelation 1:8, 17 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”… 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Throughout scripture Jesus is LORD – Jehovah – In Isaiah –
Isaiah 44:6, NASB – Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.”
There is no God besides Jesus –
John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Isaiah 49:7-9, The Message – There’s no such thing as self-rescue, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. The cost of rescue is beyond our means, and even then it doesn’t guarantee Life forever…
Jesus the only One who can because He’s the only One who was wealthy enough to pay.
If if you are strong-willed and can pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you will never be able to pull yourself up to heavenly places where grace is poured out. Only Jesus can to that!
What do we have in the name of Jesus? Here is a partial list. In the name of Jesus we become children of God:
John 1:12-13 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
We receive healing and salvation in every sense of the word:
Acts 4:10-12, NIV – …then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
We receive eternal and abundant life:
John 20:30-31 – And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2:38 – Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 10:43-46 – “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit [of grace] fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit [of grace] had been poured out on the Gentiles also 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
John 14:26-27 – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We are cleansed of sin, made right with God, and made holy:
1 Corinthians 6:11 – And such were some of you. [speaking of a long list of sins that Paul mentioned that identified the unrighteous] But you were washed [cleansed of your sin], but you were sanctified [made holy], but you were justified [made right with God] in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
In the name of Jesus – by His power and authority – we have a legitimate right to claim everything that He is and everything that He has – not because we are good, but because He has purchased it, and He is good and only good and only has good to give.
All is all, anything is anything, whatever is whatever
Scripture after scripture confirms that God wants us to ask and receive His goodness. Here is a small sampling of scriptures that I call “All is all, anything is anything, whatever is whatever” and I have highlighted those words for you.
John 15:7-8, NASB – If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, [what is the fruit? The answered prayers!] and so prove to be My disciples. [Did you realize that having the words of Jesus in your heart, asking according to His word and receiving according to His word is a proof that you are one of Jesus’s disciples?]
John 16:23-24 – Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Psalm 34:4, 6, 9-10, 17, 19 – I sought the LORD, and He heard me, [LORD, all caps – YHVH – open hand in grace, nail in grace! Everything we need is provided through the cross – the finished work] And delivered me from all my fears… 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles… 9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing… 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles… 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 20:4-5, NLT – May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
Mark 11:23-24 – For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, [doesn’t have a veil over his heart]
The word “doubt” [waver/ diakrino] means to “separate, make a distinction, to be at variance with one’s self.” Doubt isn’t necessarily just not having faith in what God can do for you. It’s not having faith in what He has done in you. It’s doubting who you are in Christ and who He is in you.
“Diakrino” is a compound word made up of two greek words: “dia” a conjunction meaning “by means of” and “krino” meaning “condemnation.” together it literally means, “by means of condemnation”; by means of having an opinion of yourself, your flesh. The word “doubt” literally has the word condemnation in it!
Think about it – if you keep your eyes on Jesus, remember that as He is so He has made you to be – a righteous new creation- then there are no limits to the life He has called you to. But Doubting and wavering is looking at life “by means of condemnation.”
Mark 11:23-24, cont – …but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Matthew 21:21-22 – So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Mark 9:23, NASB – And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
1 John 3:21-23 – Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence [parresia] toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. [New Covenant commandments – there are 2 of them!] 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
We live by the “faith of the Son of God,” and “we love because He first loved us.” All Jesus!
Declaration of the Great I AM, Jesus:
Jesus is our Alpha and Omega, our Beginning and End, He was, He is, and He is to come! He’s the same yesterday today and forever. All the promises of God are yes and amen in Jesus.
He is the “Great I AM” – Jesus says,
- “I was there in your past, and I will heal the scars.
- Don’t be afraid of the future. I have already gone there, and I will be there when you arrive. I have taken care of your future.
- I have come back, and I am in your present to help you move into your future and to clear a path for you.” He is YHWH!
In closing, I declare the name of Jesus over you:
His name it Faithful and True. JESUS is the Great I AM. Yahweh – Jehovah is salvation. He was and is and is to come. When I say His name, I am proclaiming the work of Jesus in your life – past, present, and future.
Jesus was there before you were born, planning you and knitting you together in your mother’s womb. God called you before you were even born to reveal His Son in you. Jesus was there in your past. He was there in your pain. He was there with you every second of every day, minute by minute, and never left you nor forsook you. He spoke to you constantly. Everything that has happened to you, everything that you have done, will all be turned around for good. God will use your wounds and pains to glorify His Son so that the Son of God will be revealed in in you.
Jesus is here now in your present, constantly speaking to you, ever present, all knowing, all powerful, and sovereign. Jesus is thinking about you all the time. You can’t even count the number of thoughts He has toward you. You have guardian angels around you right now.
Jesus is in your future. Jesus has gone ahead of you to pave the way, and He has come pack to lead you to your great destiny. He is your Shepherd who knows your name, calls you by name, loves you, and cares for you. You will not hear the voice of a stranger. You will follow the voice of the Good Shepherd who gave His life for you and has been touched with all the feelings of your infirmities. You are touched with the feeling of Jesus’s power and strength and love and grace, and with no veil, you look into the face of Jesus as in a mirror. All of God’s plans for you are good and will prosper you. All of your days were laid out for you before one of them came to be.
Great restoration is coming. Great healing is coming. Great joy is coming. Great peace is coming. Great happiness and fulfillment are coming. Great motivation and inspiration to grab hold of your limitless destiny is coming. Great vision is coming. Great intimacy with Jesus is coming. Great understanding of spiritual truth is coming. Great freedom is coming. Great salvation is coming. When I say the name of Jesus, I am proclaiming salvation in every area of your life.
[Acts 13:22; 1 Sam. 13:14; 1 Corinthians 1:19-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Galatians 4:6-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 1 John 4:6-10; 2 Corinthians 4:4-8; 2 Timothy 2:23-27; Philippians 1:27-31; Ephesians 2:3-10; 1 Peter 1:20-26; James 1:16-20; Matthew 16:15-19; Matthew 11:25-29; Ephesians 1:16-20; Luke 8:8-12]
And Jesus says, “I will do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine.”
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