Surrender in General, Obey in Particular
When you know the baker's heart, you ask with joyful confidence—just as we pray when we abide in Christ.
Devotional Credit: Excerpt from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones invites us into a breathtaking understanding of prayer's true power and freedom. He explains that the life of prayer is both the most liberating and the most anchored of experiences. Anchored, because it depends on two unwavering conditions: abiding in Christ and allowing His words to abide in us. Liberating, because once these are fulfilled, we are free to ask "whatever we will," knowing that our desires are shaped by His heart.
Jones shows that prayer is not about bending God to our will, but about being so entwined with His Spirit that what we long for is already what He delights to give. It purifies prayer from selfishness, from mere persistence, from aimless pleading. It lifts prayer to its highest level—prayers breathed through the Spirit of Christ are always heard, always answered according to His perfect wisdom. In this abiding relationship, we are invited into a bold, joyful asking, knowing our Father hears and answers for our truest good.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Abide in Me, and let My words dwell richly within you. As you remain in Me, ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you, for your desires are being shaped by My Spirit. I am the vine, and you are the branches; apart from Me you can do nothing, but united with Me, your prayers rise like sweet incense before My throne.
If you delight yourself in Me, I will give you the desires of your heart. Trust in Me and I will act. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Me. My peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Whatever you ask in My name, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours, for My name is not a formula but the living expression of union between us. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Continue in Me, continue in My love, and your life will bear much fruit.
(Scripture references: John 15:7; John 15:5; Psalm 37:4-5; Philippians 4:6-7; Mark 11:24; John 15:3-4,9)
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine walking into your favorite bakery first thing in the morning, when the scent of fresh bread fills the air. You know exactly what to ask for because you know the bakery—you trust their skill, their goodness, and the quality of what they produce. You don’t anxiously demand random things or worry whether the baker will respond kindly. You simply ask, with joyful expectancy, for what you already know matches the baker’s finest offerings. In the same way, when we abide in Christ and His words abide in us, our prayers naturally rise in harmony with His heart—full of expectancy, free from striving.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that abiding in Christ is not a burden but a delight, a place of life and freedom. I rejoice that as I draw near to You and treasure Your words in my heart, You shape my desires to mirror Your own. I rest in the confidence that every prayer birthed in Your Spirit is already heard, already answered in the way that is best for me. I stand in awe of the liberty You have given—to ask boldly, knowing I am rooted deeply in You. Today, I walk forward, abiding and asking with a heart that trusts fully in Your perfect love.