Scripture: " If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatso¬ever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."—JOHN xv. 7. R. V.
Ere our Lord went to heaven He taught His disciples two great lessons in regard to their relation to Him in the great work they had to do.
The one was that in Heaven He would have much more power than He had upon earth, and that He would use that power for the salvation of men, solely through them, their word and their work.
The other was that they without Him could do nothing, but that they could count upon Him to work in them and through them, and so carry out His purpose. Their first and chief work would therefore he to bring everything they wanted done to Him in prayer. In the Farewell Discourse He repeats the promise seven times: "Abide in Me, pray in My name"; you can count upon it, "you can ask what you will; it shall be done to you."
With these two truths written in their heart, He sent them out into the world. They could confidently undertake their work. The Almighty, glorified Jesus, ready to do in and with and through them greater things than He Himself had ever done upon earth. The impotent helpless disciples on earth unceasingly looking up to Him in prayer, with the full confidence that He would hear that prayer; the first and only condition, an unflinching confidence in the power of His promise. The chief thing in all their life and in the work of their ministry was to be the maintenance of a spirit of prayer and supplication.
Alas, how little the Church has understood and believed this! And why ? Simply because believers live so little in the daily abid¬ing in Christ that they are powerless in believing His great and precious promises. Let us learn the lesson, both for our life and work, that as the members of Christs body, the chief thing every day must be that close abiding fellowship with Christ, which ever first takes its place of deep dependence and unceasing supplication. Only then can we do our work in the full assurance that He has heard our prayer and will be faithful in doing His part, in giving the power from on high, as the source of strength and abundant blessing. Take time, oh, take time, ye servants of the Lord, and with your whole heart believe the word Christ has spoken. Christ asks: "Believest thou this?" Yea, Lord, I believe. "Abide in Me, Abide in My love." "If ye abide in Me, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."