Simply Ask!

When I went to bed last night, I was dealing with some mouth pain.

I have a wisdom tooth that’s been causing some grief for way too long now and I have another tooth that has been sore for the past few days.

 I wasn’t really thinking about the teeth when I went to bed, but as I lay there trying to fall asleep, a little rhyme from childhood popped into my head.

It goes, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:14”

That’s it.

 It repeats itself over and over again to some little tune that, I am sure, the Sunday School Teacher made up but the line is straight out of the Bible and is oh so true!

As the rhyme coursed through my mind, I spoke to my teeth, mouth and gums, saying to them that they are healed & healthy.

 Not only did I speak these words, but I believed them.

And guess what, my mouth stopped hurting and I went to sleep.

For the past two years, I have been conversing with the Lord about John 14:14 (the whole chapter really).

I have been trying to “figure out” how to do the things Jesus said I (and every other Spirit-filled believer) would do.

This morning He had me reread the whole chapter and as I did I realized that in all my attempts at “figuring it out” I had actually missed the simplicity of it.

Here’s what I re-realized; Jesus said it, therefore it is done.

 I can do all things because of Him.

So if I ask it in His name, it is done.

Because Jesus ascended back into heaven, Holy Spirit came to empower me.

And because it is already accomplished in and through Him, I believe that it is so.

John 14:12-14 says, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works that I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father.

In fact, whatever you ask in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask something in my name, I will do it.”

Jesus healed and cared for people.

He went about doing good things; things that were “super”natural and awe inspiring.

 It is the Father’s goal that His children would be taken care of; healthy and whole.

And He intends to use us to bring those good things about.

The fact is, God is good.

Sure, bad things happen and evil is all around, but when we serve an all-powerful God who is nothing but goodness, why wouldn’t we expect good, indeed, great, things from Him?

I mean if we believe the Bible, why would we worry, doubt or fear?

Now, I am not saying that I’ve got it all figured out or that I never slip into worry or doubt, but what I am realizing is that it is so much simpler than we make it.

My motto has become, “Jesus (God/Holy Spirit) said it so I believe it!” - plain and simple.

Know what else?

 With that perspective, my heart is light, my mind is clear and my spirit is free!

 Yes!