Whatsoever Ye Will

IF YE ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS

- ABIDE IN YOU, ASK WHATSOEVER YE

WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO

YOU. — Ver. vii.

The whole place of the branch in the vine is one of unceasing prayer. Without intermission it is ever calling: O my vine, send the sap I need to bear Thy fruit. And its prayers are never unanswered; it asks what it needs, what it will, and it is done.

The healthy life of the believer in Christ is equally one of unceasing prayer. Consciously or unconsciously, he lives in continual dependence. The word of his Lord, “You can do nothing,” has taught him that not more unbroken than the continuance of the branch in the vine, must be his asking and receiving. The promise of our text gives us infinite boldness: “Ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

The promise is given in direct connection with fruit-bearing. Limit it to yourself and your own needs, and you rob it of its power; you rob yourself of the power of appropriating it. Christ was sending these disciples out, and they were ready to give their life for the world: to them He gave the disposal of the treasures of heaven. Their prayers would bring the Spirit and the power they needed for their work.

The promise is given in direct connection with the coming of the Spirit. The Spirit is not mentioned in the parable, just as little as the sap of the vine is mentioned. But both are meant all through. In the chapter preceding the parable, our Lord had spoken of the Holy Sph’it, in connection with their inner life, being in them, and revealing Himself within them (xiv. 15-23). In the next chapter He speaks of the Holy Spirit in connection with their work, coming to them, convincing the world, and glorifying Him (xvi. 7-14). To avail ourselves of the unlimited prayer promises, we must be men who are filled with the Spirit, and wholly given up to the work and glory of Jesus. The Spirit will lead us into the truth of its meaning and the certainty of its fulfilment.

Let us realize that we can only fufil our calling to bear much fruit, by praying much. In Christ are hid all the treasures men around us need; in Him all God’s children are blessed with all spiritual blessings; He is full of grace and truth. But it needs prayer, much prayer, strong believing prayer, to bring these blessings down. And let 80 ns equally remember that we cannot appropriate the promise without a life given up for men. Many try to take the promise, and then look round for I what they can ask. This is not the way; but the very opposite. Get the heart burdened with the need of souls, and the command to save them, and the power will come to claim the promise.

Let us claim it as one of the revelations of our wonderful life in the Vine; He tells us that if we ask in His name, in virtue of our union with Him, whatsoever it be, it will be done to us. Souls are perishing because there is too I little prayer. God’s children are feeble because there is too little prayer. We bear so little fruit because there is so little prayer. The faith of this promise would make us strong to pray; let us not rest till it has entered into our very heart, and drawn us, in the power of Christ, to continue and labor and us to be. The only difference is, what God works in the trees is by a power of which they are not conscious. He wants to work in us with our consent. This is the nobihty of man, that he has a will that can cooperate with God in understanding and approving and accepting what He offers to do.

“If ye abide” — here is the difference between the Branch of the natural and the spiritual Vine. The former abides by force of nature: the latter abides, not by force of will, but by a Divine power given to the consent of the will. Such is the wonderful provision God has made that, what the power of nature does in the one case, the power of grace will do in the other. The Branch can abide in the Vine.

“If ye abide in Me, ask whatsoever ye will.” If we are to live a true prayer life, with the love and the power and the experience of prayer marking it, there must be no question about the If Ye Abide

abiding. And if we abide, there need be no question about the liberty of asking what we will, and the certainty of its being done. There is the one condition: If ye abide in Me. There must be no hesitation about the possibility or the certainty of it. We must gaze on that little branch and its wonderful power of bearing such beautiful fruit, until we truly learn to abide.

And what is its secret? Be wholly occupied with Jesus. Sink the roots of your being in faith and love and obedience deep down into Him. Come away out of every other place to abide here. Give up everything for the inconceivable privilege of being a Branch on earth of the glorified Son of God in heaven. Let Christ be first. Let Christ be all. Do not be occupied with the abiding — be occupied with Christ. He will hold you, He will keep you abiding in Him. He will abide in you.

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you This He gives as the equivalent of the other expression: “I in you. If My words abide in you” — that is, not only in meditation, in mem-, ory, in love, in faith — all these are needed — but above all, in obedience. If these words enter into your will, your being, and constitute your life — if they transform your character into their own likeness, and you become and are what they speak and mean, ask what ye will, it shall be done unto you. Your words to God in prayer will be the fruit of Christ and His words living in you.

“Ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Dear soul! do believe in the truth of this promise. Set yourself to be an intercessor for men; a fruit-bearing intercessor, ever calling down more blessing. Such faith and prayer will help you wonderfully to abide wholly and unceasingly.

If ye abide. Yes, Lord! the power to pray, and the power to prevail, must depend on this abiding 86

If Ye Abide

in Thee. As Thou art the Vine, Thou art the Divine Intercessor, who breathest Thy spirit in us. Oh! for grace to abide simply and wholly in Thee, and ask great things. 17th Day