The Healing Word

Pastor Jack Morris: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask what you will. You can ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.

Guest (Male): Welcome to The Healing Word, a radio ministry of the Largo Community Church. Here’s Pastor Jack Morris with today’s message that will grow your faith in God and lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: The connected branch. I want you to take your Bible, open it, and look at John 15, verse seven. John 15, verse seven. Would you do that and then read it with me in unison? Your Bible open, ready? "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you." Here today and next week, we’re going to truly find out why some prayers are not being answered. I believe verse seven that we just read, if you look at it again, you’ll understand more clearly how and why, under what conditions, God answers prayer.

There’s the pruned branch, and that’s a good branch. God is pruning. It has little shoots on it that there are no fruit on, so he just cuts them off because there’s too much energy going into those and they’re not bearing fruit. God is pruning some of us. He’s cutting into our lives and causing us to grow in him and reach a greater height of glory in him. God sees us and he knows some of us have not reached our full potential, so he’s beginning to prune because he sees so much more for us. He wants us to be all that we want to be and all that he wants us to be.

There's the fruitful branch and the connected branch. I'm sure they're one and the same. Then there’s that throwaway branch, the branch that just became disconnected somehow. How did it become disconnected? That’s the thing. Jesus is saying, "If you abide" or "If you remain." If, if, if, if you, if you, if you. He’s not taking the responsibility for our abiding. He’s saying that responsibility is on you. He’s not going to wake you up in the morning and say, "Go to church. Pastor, be on time."

Some people will say—and I’m just introducing the sermon, I’m not there yet—some people will say, "Pastor, I’ve been a member of the church for the last eight to 10 years, but I don’t come very frequently." A person just told me this just the other day. "I'm not there very often. There’s been a lot of sickness in my home," and on and on. I tried to sympathize, but she’s talking to her coworkers at work. Forty hours a week at work. You go get groceries and go shopping, that takes two or three hours. You don’t miss your vacation time, do you? Oh no, we’re going down to Ocean City. No, she didn’t say that part.

On and on it goes. Church, the house of God, the people of the Lord, prayer, the word. "We’ve had a lot of sickness in our house, Pastor." You’re going to do what you want to do. Whatever you prioritize, that’s what you’re going to do. A throwaway branch. What causes a branch to be thrown away? Is it because of some great sin? Because somebody robbed a bank, they’re a robber? Somebody committed adultery? Someone is a drunkard? Someone is an addict? No. Do you know what causes the branch to become a throwaway branch? Are you listening? Neglect. Neglect. Neglect.

I just neglected to go to church and study the word and pray and be part of the community of faith. I just started putting it off, and it got easier and easier and easier. "I haven’t been to church for a while, Pastor." I said, "Lady, your name sounds familiar, but I don’t remember you." Now years have passed. Neglect. No great sin, just neglect. Well, friend, God wants us to pray. He is the Almighty. He has omnipotent power. He desires only to give that omnipotent power and display it for us and toward us.

This is what he wants us to do. But he wants us to ask, and the prerequisite to asking is that we abide in him and his word abides in us. He said, "If you abide in me and my word abides in you, you can ask what you wish and it shall be done." That’s too good to be true. You don’t believe that, do you? I can ask anything I wish. There’s a lot of people wishing a lot of things and asking a lot of things, but they don’t have the foundation of the word. If I’m not abiding and I’m neglecting and I’m a hit-and-miss and I’m only when I get around to it, well, then I can wish and pray and not get answers.

Friends, I pray today that this message will be enlightening and that you won’t think God doesn't answer prayer anymore. He does. He certainly does answer prayer. When the word of God is abiding in me and I’m abiding in the word of God, that’s really one and the same. I can’t have the word of God abiding in me without Jesus abiding in me because Jesus is the word of God. When I’m abiding in Jesus, I’m abiding in the word, and so I’m abiding in Jesus and I’m abiding in the word. That’s one and the same thing.

When I trust the Lord and his word and abide, then I can pray the prayer of faith and move mountains in the name of the Lord. I feel for so many people. My heart is heavy. People are praying for their family, but nothing is happening in their family. People are praying for their marriage, but nothing is happening in their marriage. People are praying for their finances, but finances are still what they always were. Some people say, "I’m going to just give up praying. I don’t think it works anymore."

Jesus said if my word abides in you and you abide in it, you can ask whatever you will for your family, for your marriage, for your finances, and it will be done unto you. That’s what Jesus says. That’s what Jesus says. Jesus, you’re kidding me. You’re putting me on. It can’t be that way, that easy. Well, that’s what he said. It’s in red print in the Bible. There it is. There are two kinds of praying. There’s spontaneous praying and there’s intentional praying.

Spontaneous praying is just the praying that just sort of gushes forth. It just happens. I don’t have a whole lot of thought in it, but yet it’s been preconditioned by a life that has been dedicated to the Lord. I get up in the morning and "Good morning, Jesus." No, before my feet hit the floor, and I might be saying that or thinking that, just not all that too conscious about it. It just comes out. That’s wonderful. Then I go through the day and prayer just surrounds me just like the atmosphere does.

That’s what it means when it says pray without ceasing. I’m just thanking God and praying. I pass the bus stop and I see those children. "God bless those children. Aren't they cute? That’s wonderful." I’m glad that man just missed me. Aren't you glad I didn’t say that woman just missed me? That man driver just missed me. I mean, you just pray all the way to work and then you come home in the evening and it’s time to go to bed and you just relax into the arms of God’s presence and watchful care and say, "God, the night belongs to you. I’m going to sleep. It’s in your hands."

Then you wake. The psalmist says, "I wake in the morning and still thou art there." That’s that spontaneous prayer. It’s like inhaling and exhaling. Do you know you’ve been breathing ever since you’ve been in church this morning? You’ve been inhaling and exhaling. You don’t say, "Okay, inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale." You didn’t even know it, did you? While you were asleep and unconscious, you breathed all night long. Well, that’s how this spontaneous prayer is. It just flows. It's just an enjoyable time with the Lord that it just flows, inhaling and exhaling.

There's the intentional prayer. That’s when we become now specific with the Lord. God wants both kinds of prayers. That’s when we become specific with the Lord and we need something from God. For instance, I need strength. The world has just pounded on me and I’ve been under such stress. I’m just tired, wore out physically. My mind isn’t working as fast as it should be. I’m just tired, just tired. We ask God, "Give me strength. Quicken my mind. Put your spirit in me. Revive me."

I need joy. I’m unhappy. All of us sometimes have those down times when we’re just not as happy and up and as excited. Don’t go too long like that. As soon as you begin to realize that you’re unhappy, then become specific and ask God for joy. "God, put the joy of the Lord in me. God, help me with the joy of the Lord." I need strength. I need the joy of the Lord. I need guidance and direction. When you’re lonely, when you’re lost and you need guidance and direction, now you can be specific and you can ask.

He is telling us if my word abides in you and you abide in it, you can be spontaneous in your prayers and I’ll hear that. You can be specific, intentional in your prayers, and I’ll hear that. He said, "I will hear whatever you express out of the wishes of your heart." That’s what I’m going to hear. Can you say praise the Lord? That’s what Jesus is saying. This request will simply come forth. Sometimes we feel lonely, we feel lost, but we don’t pray for direction and guidance. Sometimes we feel weak and tired, worn out, we don’t pray for strength. Or whatever it is. We’re unhappy, we don’t pray for joy.

Sometimes I think we maybe thinking this way, consciously or unconsciously, we’ll think, "Should I pray about this or should I just wait and see what’s going to happen?" The Lord says, "Ask. You are a child of God." As a child of God, you are a prince. And as a prince, you have power with God. God’s omnipotent power is available to you if you abide in the word and the word abides in you. Let me tell you something. I’m going to come down here because I think I’m getting your attention. I think I’ve got you today. The Holy Spirit has got you. If you are not careful with his word, if you treat his word casually, he’s going to treat your words casually.

We want God to be Johnny on the spot, don’t we? We want that miracle now. The fruit of the spirit is patience, but I just ain’t got it this morning, Lord. I need help and I need it now. God is saying, "Where are you, anyway?" Like Adam, God coming through the garden. "Adam, where art thou?" Where are you in relationship to my word, in relationship to my church, in relationship... When’s the last time you took the Lord’s supper? When’s the last time you sang with your spiritual family?

There are times we’re all going to miss church. Of course we are. That’s going to happen. Sometimes I’m going to be late. Once every 38 years isn’t too bad. Things are going to happen. I’m going to miss in just a few weeks. I’m going to miss a service. We’re all going to miss. When we intentionally neglect the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some are, then we know that Jesus is coming soon. We know he’s coming soon. It’s like one man, he was out on the golf course on Sunday morning, 11:00 service time. They were hitting the balls and his buddy looked over at him, said, "George, it’s church time. You’re always in church at 11:00 Sunday morning. I just noticed it’s Sunday and it’s 11:00." George says, "Oh, I couldn’t have gone to church today anyway. My wife’s sick."

This is about the best sermon I think you’ve ever heard, folks. Those excuses that we give to the Almighty and then we expect him to take care of our marriage, our finances, our family, our career and on and on. Jesus said, "If you abide in me. If you abide in me." My God, I’ll say it again. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you can ask." If you’re not abiding, you can ask all you want to. Someone said, "Oh, I believe in Pentecost. I believe in the power of God. I believe Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." You can believe that with your mouth, but if you don’t exercise it with your heart... You’re in a privileged position today, dear friends, as a child of God.

There’s freedom in prayer. Notice what it says. "Ask what you wish." Don’t be shy. Don’t be embarrassed to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask. Talk to those who are abiding. Friend, if you’re not abiding, you’re a throwaway branch. In the house of God, but the house of God not in you. "I’m a church-going man." But the church... I can miss it without conviction. Whatever. Ask what you wish. Be at liberty. No restrictions. Don’t be shy, don’t be embarrassed, don’t be afraid. Just come to the Lord.

You’re a child of God. Ask whatever you will. You are at the point or the place of privilege. That’s where you are. You are in a privileged position. You are loved just like God loves his son Jesus. Jesus loves you that much. Do you think God ever turns a deaf ear to the prayers of his son? If his son is in you and you are in his son, then you and the son become one. You think God’s going to turn a deaf ear to Jesus in you and you in Jesus? No. God’s omnipotent power is available to every one of his children.

Success in prayer is abiding in the Lord. Two feet. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you." There it is. That’s the two feet that climbs Jacob’s ladder right to the throne of grace. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask what you will. You can ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That’s the prayers that the Lord Jesus is answering. Don’t deceive yourself, dear friend. Don’t deceive yourself.

I said to the lady, she said, "I’m a Christian. My name is on the roles." I said, "Your name on the roles of the Largo Community Church is nothing. Doesn’t mean a thing. Doesn't mean a thing." Friend, is your name on his role in heaven, in the book of life? Are you adhering to and following his desires and doing his will? If you are casual with God and casual with his words, he’s going to be casual with you and casual with your words. He made a promise. He said something. He’s going to adhere to what he has said.

He’s going to stick to his word whether I stick to it or whether I don’t. He said, and this is what he’s going to stick to, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you." He’s going to adhere to that. He’s going to stick to that. Nothing is going to change his mind until you repent and confess. "God, I’ve been playing roulette with you. I’ve been trying to roll the dice and have a big prayer hit." God says, "You don’t care really about me. Really. You really don’t. You’re a nice guy, a good citizen, a good wife, a good husband. You vote at voting time. I mean, you’re a good upstanding citizen, but you’re not abiding in the word. The word’s not abiding in you."

You think you’re fooling everybody and you’re fooling nobody. You’re playing God for a dummy and God sees right through you. Friend, don’t be a throwaway. Come back to the Lord. Turn to God. Seek the Lord. How can we call him master and Lord and then just don’t do what he says? He’s no more master and Lord than anything or anyone else being master and Lord. Would you have power in prayer? Then abide in the word. Start today. Get connected with Jesus.

Confess your lukewarmness, your undone-ness, your hypocrisy, your phoniness, like a three-dollar bill. Confess it to him. He already knows it. He’s got you and me pegged. If you confess and talk to the Lord, he will put his arms about you. He will take you into his confidence. He will put his spirit within you. He will make you a new woman, a new man. You will begin to abide. The fruit will begin to come forth and you will then have mountain-moving faith because you have reached a privileged position in the Lord. You’re there with Jesus now.

Definition of prayer: knowing the promises of God and taking those promises to him. Prayer is knowing the promises of God and taking those promises to him. Prayer is meeting God with his own words. Get on your knees and say, "Lord, you said, if I abide in you and your word abides in me, you said it, Lord. To the best of my ability, I’m not perfect, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’m trying now to look to you, to be filled with you. I don't want to be a phony anymore." Tell God exactly like it is.

He will bless. He will come. He will reconnect you. The life force will begin to flow again and you will then have mountain-moving faith. Prayer is meeting God with his own words. God has left to us great and precious promises. The scripture says in Colossians 3, "Let the word of God dwell in you richly." Let it dwell in you. Have I high blood pressure? Stop eating salt. Jesus heals you. Let the word of God dwell in you richly, abiding in his word and his word abiding in us.

In the scripture it says in Exodus chapter 17 that Moses was taking the people of Israel, the nation of Israel, through the wilderness. There was a tribe, a heathen tribe of people called the Amalekites, and they came out against the people of God. They didn’t like the people of God. They were pagans, these Amalekites. They were too many, too great, too strong for the nation of Israel. Moses said to his servant Joshua, "Joshua, you’re the captain of the army. Go down there in the valley and fight the Amalekites. I’m going up on the mountain. I’m going to have the staff of God in my hand."

This is the staff of God in my hand. He had it in his hand, but before that he had already had it in his heart. "I’m going to have the staff of God in my hand." The scripture says when Moses lifted up his hands, the children of Israel began to win. They began to win the battle. They were overcoming. Friends, if you hold your hands up so long, how long can you hold your hands up? Pretty soon your hands get heavy and Moses’ hands came down, let the blood circulate again. When his hands dropped, the Amalekites turned on the people of Israel and they began to win and they began to slaughter the people of Israel and defeat the people of Israel.

Hur and Aaron came up on the mount. They took a big rock and they put it there as a chair for Moses to sit on and Moses sat on it. Then one got on one side, lifted that arm up. One got on the other side and lifted that arm up. Israel started winning again and they stayed there holding his hands up. Now here are the two hands. Are you listening? Here are your two hands that must be lifted up to God. The first hand: "If you abide in me." The second hand: "And my words abide in you." You can win the battle. You can defeat your enemy. You can overcome. God’s omnipotent power is there for you. Amen.

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