Prayer and the Great “If . . . Then” Promise of Jesus – Part 3: Daily Remaining in Christ

In parts 1and 2, I introduced the great promise of Jesus, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”. I pointed out that this promise has two conditions: “If you remain in me”, and “If My words remain in you”. In this post I offer some thoughts on how to remain ‘in Christ’.

Remaining ‘in Christ’ means staying in constant contact with Him. There are several obvious ways of doing this: read/study/memorize Scripture, pray, and worship regularly (not just on Sunday in church because worship is not confined to a time or place).

These are all important and powerful disciplines and principles. But we can do all these knowing about Jesus without really knowing Jesus. These can be just the ways we substitute activity for relationship. For example, I think it is possible to ‘love’ Scripture or be passionate about Scripture, without really knowing or loving Jesus. I can make my knowledge of the Bible just as big an idol as anything else in the world.

Jack Deere, in ‘Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit’ wrote: “Then I went to seminary, where I learned that the most important thing is knowing the Bible. Our motto was not to love God, love people, and teach people to love what Jesus loved; it was to preach the word” (pg. 13).

His point is I can teach/preach what Scripture means – without really understanding God’s love and His grace.  I can know about Jesus without knowing Jesus, especially if I teach/preach in my own power instead of the power of the Holy Spirit.

The number one way we remain ‘in Christ’ is loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and then, as a consequence or expression of loving God this way, loving people, including our enemies. As we love, we are drawn deeper into the heart of Jesus, because we cannot love like this apart from the Holy Spirit. That dependence upon the Holy Spirit keeps us close to Jesus and forms or shapes in us a true spirit of humility. Then, of course, we can walk in gratitude and dependence on Him; trusting His promises, which is rooted in faith; and obeying His commands. Gratitude, dependence, faith, and obedience are necessary to ‘remain in Christ’. While Jesus ‘brings’ me into relationship with Him, I remain in Him, in part, by taking these deliberate steps to stay in close contact with Him.

I don’t take these steps because they are required – like following the law demanded. I take them because I love and enjoy obeying Jesus and depending upon Him. The deepest joy in my life comes (or should come) from being ‘in Christ’, being in His presence, and friendship with Him.

Here is a practical method I have found that keeps me ‘in Christ’ each day, drawing me deeper into His heart, and opening my heart to a deeper union with Him:

At the start of each day, I consecrate the day to Him. Consecration has to do with a dedication; in this context it is to solemnly offer or dedicate to Jesus my thoughts, words, and actions for His purposes and glory. Sounds impressive; and impossible. But I have to start somewhere, why not here. The only reason I can do this is because Jesus has given me the gift of repentance. I mess up a lot, but at least I am aiming high. The more I do this, the easier it becomes (‘easier’, not easy)

·   Then I bind myself to Jesus. You might be familiar with binding and loosing demons. This is different. I bind my heart to the heart of Jesus, my mind to the mind of Jesus, my will to the will of Jesus, and my ways to the ways of Jesus. I repeat these words as part of my daily prayer. Then I ask Him to do that same for me – “Jesus, bind my heart to your heart, etc.”.

·   Then I loose whatever stands between me and Jesus – I loose stronghold thinking like negative thoughts about myself and others, negative emotions I am carrying like anger, fear and anxiety, resentment or bitterness, and every old pattern of thinking that tells me I am not good enough.

·    I ask God to make His rhema word known to me for this day.

·    Then I proclaim the Kingdom of God over me and everyone I will contact during the day.

I try to do these 5 things when I begin my day or when I enter into a time of prayer each morning.  

Here is a sample prayer using these principles:

“Jesus, thank You for your presence with me today. Holy Spirit, possess my mind and consume my thoughts. I consecrate my thoughts, words, and actions to You today. Help me to hear your voice and remain focused on You and your purposes as I go about my day. Jesus, I bind my heart to your heart; my mind to your mind; my will to your will; and my ways to your ways. I loose any dark or hurtful thoughts or ideas that can separate me from Your love; help me to repent where needed. Demolish any stronghold thinking. As I walk through the day, protect me from the attacks of the enemy. I want to accomplish the purposes that You have established for me today. Jesus help me to release and advance Your Kingdom today, all for Your glory!

Inevitably, negative or shameful thoughts from my past surface in my mind as satan tries to discourage or condemn me. Letting these go is part of loosing. Here is a short prayer I have found to be an effective counterattack against the enemies’ deceptions. When an unwanted thought enters my mind, I say or whisper: “I come out of agreement with that thought. The Lord rebuke you (more than once if necessary). I cast you out and send you to Jesus.” 

Satan’s Most Effective Lie

Satan’s primary way keeping me from ‘remaining in Christ’ and living the Kingdom life of power is unbelief, but probably not in the way you think. It is this:

“The obstacle between us and God (preventing us from living ‘in Christ’) is not what is imperfect in us – the fragility, the truculence, the dithering lust and outbursts of rage ( God can deal with all that) – but our belief that we are unworthy of being loved, incapable of greatness, people of little value, power, or gifts” (Walter Wink, ‘Engaging the Powers’, pg. 719).

Satan lies and accuses. He uses unbelief – not unbelief in Jesus, but my unbelief in my own worth to receive His love and power – to neutralize our prayers for the Kingdom.

Conclusion

To understand the great “If . . . Then” promise of Jesus, it is necessary to understand what ‘remain in me’ or live ‘in Christ’, means; and how we remain ‘in Christ’. When we are truly ‘in Christ’ we know His heart, hear His voice; we are connected to His mind and Spirit, and His will fills our imagination and becomes ours as well. Then, when we pray, we are praying His purposes and plans into reality by praying into existence that which is not, as if it is.

I write about the second condition Jesus describes in John 15: 7 in ‘Prayer and the Great “If . . . Then” Promise of Jesus – Part 4: If My words remain in you’.

John