“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” –John 14:14
This verse has always seemed so simplistic, yet the most complex to understand. God is not a genie in a lamp granting wishes; there are heavily interwoven factors regarding His will and purpose, as well as the direction and intention of my desires. The bottom line is this: prayer is powerful. When we go to God with our struggles and corresponding requests, we don’t typically see an instant response from Him, but regardless of what we “see,” He is always working toward an end–bringing about an objective.
I am struggling as I write this week; I am facing challenges mentally, physically, financially, and relationally. Under the weight of these circumstances, I am prone to start listening to the lies of the evil one, but I won’t give credence to those lies by even acknowledging them in words here. I feel like Peter when he was walking on the water and took his eyes off of Jesus (Matthew 14:29-31). “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” Matthew doesn’t record Peter’s response, if he gave one. For myself, my response comes back to those lies I referenced. At least, Peter instantly turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, save me!” For some reason, I revert to trying to fix problems myself and don’t always turn to Him as a first response.
More times than I care to revisit, I can relate to floundering about, struggling to keep my head above water–by myself, though Jesus is standing right there. Lately, I’ve faced many “winds” that leave me off-balance and unable to stand with stability…on my own. I can’t see how any of these issues are going to be resolved, and that has always been difficult for me to accept; I want answers. I want to know the plan. I don’t even know what words to pray, but I can take a cue from Peter and pray, “Lord, save me,” and allude to John 14:14, “in Your name.”