And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24
It’s not a sin to have joy over answered prayer. Makes you want to ask the Father concerning more things. I think child-like asking is the key.
It’s amazing that the Living God would make such an offer to us, as this.
Ian Vincent 
August 28, 2010 at 9:57 am
Why rejoicing would be sin? Every answered prayer just encourages us to come closer to God, that He is really alive, that this is not our imagination and it is good testimony to others even unbelievers.
August 28, 2010 at 10:46 pm
What an incridible offer/promise our Lord makes. And what joy when the evidence of God’s power and concern manifests into our lives through His gracious answers to prayer. Some say answered prayer is just coincidence. Amazing how many coincidences happen when we pray.
August 28, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Thanks brother and sister.
Natasa, what i meant, if i can speak for myself on this, is that there is a part of me that has a caution concerning asking things for myself, as it would be self-seeking. There’s also a part of me that has a caution about treating God as one’s personal butler or servant. And these are holy cautions, i believe. And it’s true that many DO treat God as their personal servant. But the caution shouldn’t over-ride the liberty of the promise.
So, in this light, our LORD’s promise is very liberating. If we are truly children of the Father and love Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, then we can boldly bring our requests to Him. If we are abiding in Christ then we will ask according to His indwelling life in us, bearing fruit.
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On the LORD’s prayer:
I “discovered” the LORD’s Prayer many years ago. Just reading the Bible one day, Jesus says, When you pray, say……..
………..Ohhh, maybe i should take this seriously! Ever since it’s been at the core of what i understand prayer to be, the Divine protocol for His children to address their Father and bring requests.
Glenn mentioned about “rattling it off” ; that is so easy to do. Whenever i pray one line of it that wasn’t from my heart and not engaging my thought, then i back up and ponder that line and pray it again slowly.
I’ve found the Holy Spirit works with the LORD’s Prayer, enlarging upon every point. E.g. “your Kingdom come” : on that, He may have us pray for many people that the Kingdom come in their lives, and “your will be done” also.
I think the LORD’s prayer ( or disciples prayer) comes as a bit of a shock to those who have been filled with the Spirit and who also pray in tongues and know the leading of the Holy Spirit.
At first it can SEEM to be a return to following a form and not the Spirit.
But the Holy Spirit will surely teach us that there is no contradiction between praying that prayer and being led by the Spirit.
I got convicted of how UN – SERIOUSLY i took many of the words of our LORD Jesus. His words are Spirit and they are Life.
My comments from here: http://glennchristopherson.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/the-disciples-prayer/#comment-21
September 4, 2010 at 5:03 am
Every morning when I wake up, I pray the Lord’s prayer and the 23rd Psalm.
Vain repetition?
I think not.
(There are days, here and there, when I don’t pray it: days of resting in His grace.)
I pray them both the way that Ian describes praying the Lord’s prayer; they are both very meaningful for me EACH TIME I PRAY THEM.
I pray them in faith: and I notice that they kind of ‘put me in order’ for the day ….
September 5, 2010 at 12:00 am
I once heard a man tell of the time he was in the back of an ambulance dying. The Lord’s prayer came into his mind. It was really all he know about the God of the Bible- something he had memorized as a child. As he prayed each line, the Lord used it to reveal Himself, convict the young man of his sin, and reveal his need of a Saviour. He prayed it as the only hope he had and it led him to repentance.
Obviously, God delivered him and extended his life, and he was able to then seek out the truth of the gospel.