His Chosen People and Desires

John 15:9-17

Verse 16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

    As we talked yesterday there are ways that the Father wants us to live in order to be in good standing with Him.  We mentioned how it is easier to listen to someone that we are in good relationship with and that it is the same way in our communication with God.

    As we see from our key verse today this thing called prayer is not about us choosing to communicate with God, but about His already having chosen a relationship with us.  He didn’t choose us because we are worthy, but because it pleases Him (1 John 3:1).

    We know how it pleases a parent when the child obeys.  We have all been on the giving or receiving end of a conversation where a treat is asked for and the adult says yes because the child was obeying.  What the child doesn’t always think about is that the parent is not only weighing their choice by the child’s obedience, but also on if the asked for item will be good for the child.  A parent wouldn’t agree to give a kindergartner a sports car to drive just because they have been obedient.  It isn’t that a sports car is a bad item, just not something that is beneficial to the child.

    Jesus tells His listeners in the key verse today that God had chosen us to bear lasting fruit and we can ask Him for things in Jesus’ name.  Now we have discussed before that this isn’t making God a vending machine that we push the right buttons to get what we want.  We also need to remember that it says that we must ask using Jesus’ name.  It isn’t like asking in His name is some special formula to persuade God to give us what we want.  The truth is, if we are seeking God and bearing fruit we will know the kinds of things that God wants us to ask for.  Asking in Jesus’ name is another way of saying we are wanting His will.

    This isn’t about asking for the fancy sports car that will make us look good and feel good.  This is about knowing what we need so that we can bear more fruit for Him.  We need to ask for things that are beyond us and our desires.  Even more so His desires should become our desires and we should be praying for the things that will please Him and bring Him glory.

Making It Personal

    How many of your prayers are about your desires?  How many are about His desires?  How many of your desires match His desires?

Making It Personal Kids

    What kinds of things could God want?  Do you want those things too?  What is something that God wants that you should want too?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for choosing us.  Give us eyes to see what Your desires are so that we can desire them too.  In Jesus’ name, amen.