Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.
3 sermons cite this verse
… knocks, the door will be opened. To his disciples, Jesus said in John 16, until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full. Of course, that's not saying you can ask anything willy-nilly, whatever your little heart desires, but you ask it in my name. that is according to my purposes and for my glory. Ask anything with that, and it's going to happen. But I say this because some people picture God with his arms folded, frowning at them. And when they come to him, they think God is looking at them saying, really, you again? Are you bothering me again? He is not at all like that. He didn't say, you got to go through my secretary first. You come directly. In fact, George Mueller said, prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It's laying hold of God's willingness. That's why the writer of Hebrews said, come boldly before the throne of grace, that you might receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. Not come timidly, not come fearfully, not come shyly, not come nervously, come boldly. You're a child of God. Come, ask, seek, knock. Charles Spurgeon used to liken prayer to ringing a bell, like pulling on a church bell. He said, prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell for they pray so languidly. …
Church, you could read that. That's that chapter over and over again. And you will see more and more of prophetic Bible statements that bring you comfort. That was a huge test, but one that is necessary. There's the danger of obsessing over Bible prophecy. Did you know that? You want to be careful about that? Who cares about Bible prophecy? A lot of people don't, but some people go cuckoo crazy on it. they just they don't even go to a church they just go to prophecy conferences and that's not good and I wrote this down. Maybe, I don't know if we have it on the screen or not, but it's on page eight, and I called it just Experiment 101A, and I'll try to read it. My eyes are all messed up tonight, but I'll put it this way. I'm about to give you an exhortation. You guys know what an exhortation is? It's an uplifting... spank. It's an uplifting smack. It's kind of like, you can do this. And it's this. …
"And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full." 1 John 1:4. VERY closely does the Apostle John resemble his Lord in the motive that prompted him to write this Epistle! You remember how Christ said in His last discourse to His disciples on the eve of His passion, "These things have I spoken unto you that your joy may be full"—and how He counseled them, "Ask and receive that your joy may be full"—and how He prayed to the Father for them, "that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves." Here, then, the beloved disciple, moved by the Spirit of God, reflects and follows out the same gracious purpose—"These things we write unto you, that your joy may be full." What an evidence of our Savior's deep attachment to His people that He is not content with having made their ultimate salvation sure, but He is anxious concerning their present state of mind! He delights that His people should not only be safe, but happy! Not merely saved, but rejoicing in their salvation! It does not please your Savior for you to hang your head as the bulrush and go mourning all your days. He would have you rejoice in Him always and for this end He has made provision and to this end He has given us precepts. Therefore it appears— I. THAT THE CHRISTIAN'S JOY NEEDS LOOKING AFTER. …