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"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:7-8 (NIV)

The story is told in support of the power of faith of the person who was searching for a parking space in a very crowded parking lot. The driver had driven back and forth, down one lane and then another. But all the parking spaces were full. There was no space available after searching for a long time - back and forth, and back again, over and over again. Still, no one came and exited making a space for the frustrated driver. Suddenly he thought, "I will ask God to get me a parking space right now!" So he prayed, and almost instantly a space became available.

Did God answer his prayer, or was it simply time and chance?

This driver interpreted the whatever you wish clause in Jesus' statement to extend to all wishes and desires. But what did Jesus mean by His statement?. After all, it appears to almost be a blank check, as the expression goes. Did Jesus' promise a blank check for those who believe in Him and trust in what He has said?

Then what DID Jesus mean?

At times it is very tempting to get caught up in taking a scripture literally and without asking for more than appearance. This has commonly been called "proof texting", or "twisting" - a way of taking a scripture to mean what the reader has in mind rather than looking further into the mind of the one who inspired the scripture.

The "whatever you wish" clause in Jesus's promise is deflined within the verse itself. The statement that follows describes the enablement that Jesus is promising them in the first part of the verse: "...that (or so that) you bear much fruit". We can ask for anything we wish from Him, and He will grant our request as long as it is for the purpose of increasing our bearing of spiritual fruit.

This is the context here. Always read carefully (preferably in more than one translation) the verses before and after the verse that is read first. The popular saying "don't jump to conclusions" is very important in such instances as this.

Jesus statement is also conditioned by the very first phrase of the verse when He says "If", which makes His promise conditional from the beginning. Sometimes, what seems to be stated in the Bible may seem almost too good to be true.

Sometimes it is.

"So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul’s safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures." - 2 Peter 3:14-16 (AMP)

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

Trusting God Yields Happiness