What if I told you there was a guaranteed way you could make sure God gave you everything you asked for?  What if you could know that when you prayed, God would surely answer in the way that you prayed He would answer?

You think I’m kidding?  I’m not.  There is a way.  Jesus said it Himself.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:4

There is a catch (you knew it, right), another one of those big little words “if.”  The desired result, getting what you ask for, is conditioned upon abiding in Jesus and His words abiding in us.  The last part of that verse is less a promise and more of an observation.

All to often, we view that verse as effort and reward.  If we do our duty of spending enough hours in Bible study, God will reward us by answering one of our prayers in the way we want Him to answer.  That view has two problems: first, it’s just dead wrong, and second, it totally leaves grace out of the equation.  Grace is God’s benefits extended to us without our need to earn  or deserve them.  God does not give us good things as a reward for our good behavior, He gives us good things because He is good.  Period.

Our challenge is to immerse our lives in His word, to have His word in our heart and mind all day long, to allow His word to shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.  God’s Word transforms our hearts and conforms us to the image of Christ, and as a result, we pray for the same things that God desires to give us – for our good and His glory.

It’s never too late to begin to dive into the Bible.

• Read it every day. 
• Believe its teachings. 
• Meditate on its meaning.   
• Apply its truth. 

What are you waiting on?  Change is on the way.  Change from who you are into who God wants you to be.  Let’s get serious about God’s word.