«　WEEK 3　DAY 6　»

　　John 15:4-5 Abide in Me and I in you…. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

　　7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

　　[John 15:7] can be divided into four points. The first point is, “you abide in Me.” The second is, “and My words abide in you.” Verses 4 and 5 speak of us abiding in the Lord and Him abiding in us. But in verse 7 I is changed to My words—“you abide in Me and My words abide in you.” I being changed to My words means that I have something to explain to you. This may be clarified by the following example: if I were to go to your home, first, my person would go there; then, after I had been there for a short while, I would speak and reveal the intention of my visit. Hence, when it says here, “My words abide in you,” this is a step forward. Third, it says, “Whatever you will.” Because of the Lord’s speaking in us, we begin to desire something, and this desire is something issuing out of the Lord’s words. Fourth, it says, “Ask…and it shall be done for you.” When we thus abide in the Lord, His words abide in us, and there is the desiring in us that comes out of His words; finally, “will” becomes “ask.” This asking is not an ordinary prayer. It is a specific prayer. Whenever asking is mentioned in the Bible, it invariably refers to a specific prayer. Hence, this asking will be answered by God. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” p. 123)

　　John 15:7 mentions two things: on one hand, it says that we abide in the Lord, and on the other hand, it says that the Lord’s words abide in us. Consequently, the matter of prayer issues forth from the Lord’s words. All prevailing prayers, prayers that can be counted effective before the Lord, must surely be the result of our abiding in the Lord and allowing His words to abide in us.

　　Whatever task a person performs, he must be the kind of person constituted for that task. One who serves as a physician must be a person who is a qualified physician. One who serves as a teacher must be a person who is a teacher. One who serves as a mother must be a person who is a mother. Likewise, you also need to be a praying one so that you can function in prayer.

　　Once man abides in the Lord, spontaneously he touches God’s feeling and understands God’s desire. In the Old Testament Abraham was an example of this. Because he continually remained before God, God could not refrain from telling Abraham of His intention. Psalm 32:8 says that God guides us with His eyes…. If you live in the fellowship, you will understand what the Bible means when it says that God guides us with His eyes. We need not be as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding, so that God has to bridle us with headstall, bit, and reins in order that we may understand His desire. We need only to live in the fellowship, remain in His presence, and draw near to Him. Then spontaneously, we will be able to understand His temperament, His disposition, and the principles of His doings. It is as if in our spirit we catch a glimpse of the Lord’s eyes and thus spontaneously touch His feeling and understand His desire.

　　After we have touched God’s feeling and understood His intention, spontaneously we will have His desire in us. At that moment His desire becomes our desire, and what He wants is exactly what we want.

　　After we have touched God’s feeling, understood His intention, and are also able to desire what He desires, then we pray. This is the very thing that is spoken of in John 15:7….This wish does not come out of the one who prays. Rather, it comes out from that which God has anointed into him. Since this desire is God’s desire, when he prays, God answers. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 123-124, 132-133)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 11; Life-study of John, msg. 34; CWWN, vol. 46, ch. 172