Praying to God

"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

A quick study of this passage might help us to understand this as it caught my attention. I have heard that all we need to do is pray about it and God will answer our prayers. This verse seems to says otherwise. Lets begin at the word abide. It is the Greek word menō, it means to remain or abide in reference to a place, a time, or a condition. In this case, it is used in reference of a place. This place is Jesus as describe by the speaker which is Christ. Abide is also used to describe where Jesus' words in us. Again, it is reference to a place by the in and the subject is the Disciples.

Lets go back to the beginning of the verse and talk about the word "if." This verse is an if/then conditional statement. The condition is the abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in us. Then part is that he will do what ever we asked.

Let looks at the verse as a whole in context. Jesus has just describe that the Disciples are a branch on the vine and Jesus is that vine. Everyone that is not attached to the vine will parish but those who remain will bear much. Verse 8 also gives us clarification of why God will answer our prayers. God answers our prayers for His glory.

So when Jesus tells His Disciples that He will do anything they ask, it is because they are remaining in His teaching. The Disciples desires are to be the same desires of Jesus. John would later clarify in 1 John 5:14, saying "(a)nd this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (emphasis is mine) So our prayers should not be "Jesus, I need an A on this test." Instead, it should be something that He has or ordained according to His plan a purpose. Our prayers should be to help the advancement of the Gospel by praying to God that He will do something to glorify His name and not ours. We need to be reading His words, as written in the Bible, to understand His desires and purpose so that he can rightly pray so that God is glorified by His works.

Where has All the Joy Gone?

That is the question of as of right now. I just do not have joy in my life right now. I have nothing to look forward to as of right now. That and the fact that I have not made any friends. I get that we joke because we like. But what they do not understand that I have not many of those friends that joke b/c they care continue to be friends. What hurts the most is that no of them care. I guess why would they. They have lives to look forward to and all I have is an empty apartment with only me inside of it. I guess it makes it hard when joy is not an emotion that I have come to know. That is one fruit of the Spirit that I lack in, a lot. I can see myself working some job somewhere living there is still no one around.

Not having joy has been a major part in my life. There has been seasons but not having joy has been the most part. I look at today, most people would be happy if they were complimented at doing their job, will not this guy. How can I be complimented on a job that I required to know how to do?

I do not even know where this is going but I am going to end it with that. I guess the bottom line is that I am miserable in my current stage of life.