The Gift of Prayer

12 Days of Christmas: Day Eleven

"If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."  John 15:7


They say one of the best gifts you can give someone is the gift of prayer, and I believe that's true. Prayer is an intangible gift with tangible results. Prayer can change people's lives. I've seen prayer bring healing, restoration, and amazing blessings. God listens to His people and responds. He is a personal God. He is interested in the details of our lives.

But sometimes the solutions to our problems are not simple ones. Sometimes the changes take time, or we may not know what to pray for. The good news is we don't have to know all the details to pray for someone, so don't let that stop you. Just pray (for yourself and others) and see how God answers. He always does what is best--even if we ask for something else. We can trust Him on that.

Jesus talks about prayer in John 15. He is instructing His disciples to stay close to Him, even though He knew He wasn't going to be around much longer. Jesus was their teacher and friend--a real live person they could see and touch, but soon He was going to Heaven, where they could no longer see Him, but He would still be with them. His Spirit would dwell in them and draw them into an intimate day-by-day faith where He wanted them to abide. "Abide in me, and I in you." (John 15:4)

Another word for abide is live. So you could say the verse this way: "[Live] in me, and I [will live] in you." He goes on to say, "If you [live] in me and my words [live] in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)

Those are some strong words. I encourage you to write them somewhere and think about them in the coming days. How do you think believing these words of promise and living by them could change your life in the coming year? One of the ways they have affected me is my prayers are more in-line with what God wants, and it causes me to truly know His Heart.

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. [Live] in my love." John 15:9

Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.