{"id":821,"date":"2022-04-12T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=821&2022"},"modified":"2022-04-07T18:00:19","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T00:00:19","slug":"the-prayer-cliche-john-16-16-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/the-prayer-cliche-john-16-16-33\/","title":{"rendered":"The Prayer Clich\u00e9: John 16:16-33"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: John 16:16-33 (NIV)<\/div>
\r\n

16\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus went on to say, \u201cIn a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.\u201d<\/p>

17\u00a0<\/sup>At this, some of his disciples said to one another, \u201cWhat does he mean by saying, \u2018In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,\u2019 and \u2018Because I am going to the Father\u2019?\u201d 18\u00a0<\/sup>They kept asking, \u201cWhat does he mean by \u2018a little while\u2019? We don\u2019t understand what he is saying.\u201d<\/p>

19\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, \u201cAre you asking one another what I meant when I said, \u2018In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me\u2019? 20\u00a0<\/sup>Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21\u00a0<\/sup>A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22\u00a0<\/sup>So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23\u00a0<\/sup>In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24\u00a0<\/sup>Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.<\/p>

25\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cThough I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26\u00a0<\/sup>In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27\u00a0<\/sup>No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28\u00a0<\/sup>I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.\u201d<\/p>

29\u00a0<\/sup>Then Jesus\u2019 disciples said, \u201cNow you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30\u00a0<\/sup>Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.\u201d<\/p>

31\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cDo you now believe?\u201d Jesus replied. 32\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cA time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.<\/p>

33\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cI have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Read John 16:16-33<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

If there was ever a verse and theme that has been taken and turned into an almost meaningless clich\u00e9, it would be the idea and theme that we can find in Jesus\u2019 last conversation before His arrest and death. In this conversation, John tells us what Jesus told the disciples: \u201cIn that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 23-24)<\/p>\r\n

The idea that God will give us whatever we ask for in Jesus\u2019 name is an incredibly powerful idea. In some ways, it is almost too powerful of a gift for us. But this theme has also become a cheap, shallow clich\u00e9 that has prompted many people to use \u201cGod\u201d, \u201cJesus\u201d, \u201cFather\u201d, and \u201cLord\u201d as filler words in their prayers. It has also prompted the popular prayer closing statement of \u201cIn Jesus name, Amen.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

After all, if we are calling on God in Jesus\u2019 name, then in this set of verses, we have the clear promise that God will give us what we ask for. Jesus even goes so far as to say that we must ask God for things in order to make our joy complete.<\/p>\r\n

So these verses must mean that we can pray the most selfish prayers, with the most sinful hearts, and if we end them by calling on Jesus\u2019 name, God is then required to answer us. But for those who have tried this, reality seems to contradict Jesus\u2019 words. Not all prayers that end with Jesus\u2019 name being called upon are promptly answered, and not all prayers that are filled with the various names for God and Jesus are answered positively.<\/p>\r\n

If this promise is not working in our lives, then this must mean we are missing something in these verses. If God made the promise, then He will keep it to give honor to His character. God will answer the promise and prayer because of who He is and not because of who we are.<\/p>\r\n

When looking for conditions or prerequisites for this promise to be answered, two come to mind.<\/p>\r\n

The first prerequisite is shared in the verse right before this, where Jesus says, \u201cSo with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 22)<\/p>\r\n

This verse sets up a time period for our verse with the promise in it because Jesus then continues by saying, \u201cIn that day\u2026<\/strong>\u201d (v. 23a)<\/p>\r\n

To start this promise off, Jesus refers to a day following the disciples\u2019 sadness turning into joy, and this happened following the resurrection. It is possible that Jesus gave this promise to only those eleven disciples, but it is also possible that the first prerequisite is that we already have a relationship with Jesus.<\/em> The disciples had been with Jesus for several years, and it is only after they had become close that Jesus gives them this promise. It may be the same with us.<\/p>\r\n

The second possible prerequisite is found in the phrase, \u201cUntil now you have not asked for anything in my name.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 24a)<\/p>\r\n

With this phrase, Jesus describes that the disciples had never used Jesus\u2019 name in a request before. This could then mean that Jesus\u2019 promise should be valued and kept sacred rather than simply being used for every whim that comes into our minds. If anything in this promise becomes a clich\u00e9, then it has also become insincere and an insincere prayer may not even reach God\u2019s ears.<\/p>\r\n

After looking closer at this promise, it is hard to escape the truth that those who have a relationship with God and who have placed their hope, faith, and trust in Jesus can sincerely pray in Jesus\u2019 name, and have their requests answered.<\/strong> You and I can be included in this promise if we are willing to place Jesus first in our lives in a meaningful way and focus on building a meaningful, sincere relationship with Him.<\/em><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If there was ever a verse and theme that has been taken and turned into an almost meaningless clich\u00e9, it would be the idea and theme that we can find in Jesus\u2019 last conversation before His arrest and death. 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