John 16:24 Meaning of Ask and You Will Receive

John 16:24
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Explanation and Commentary of John 16:24

Jesus is now teaching the Church the nature of Christian prayer. He had not yet taught his disciples that when they go to God in prayer, they will go with a new right to enter his presence. They will go through the way opened up by Christ’s death on the cross. That Way is Jesus himself. What happens when we pray true prayers of faith that will be answered is that the Holy Spirit of Jesus moves us to go on his behalf to God to ask. God hears the prayer, by his choice, as coming from his one and only Son. We are messengers of Christ to God.

When we ask in this way, we will receive what we ask for. In a certain sense, only prayers prayed in Jesus’ name will be effective. If we pray prayers that are not the will of God, or the prayers of Jesus through us, then they will not be answered. They will not have the necessary faith behind them that comes from God for us to pray according to his will. God’s desire is to partner with us and to allow us to do his work. He loves us, and he loves to be with us. When we engage in this process it is a source of great joy to him and to us. In fact, our “joy will be complete” by becoming people of prayer who abide in Christ and learn his will, praying it back to God. It is a profound privilege for the believer to be able to go into the presence of God and pray in the name of his Son who dwells in us but is also at God’s right hand.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of John 16:24

#1 “Until now…”
Jesus is getting ready to drop in a huge element of faithful prayer that is effective. Until now, this had not been revealed.

#2 “…you have not asked for anything in my name.”
Though the disciples had prayed, and been taught to pray while Jesus was on earth, they did not know to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. Now that he was leaving, the nature of communication from humans to the Father would be through the Son.

#3 “Ask and you will receive,”
Prayers that are not answered, are those not according to the will of God. It is sometimes hard to know which of our prayers is asked according to his will and in Jesus’ name. When we get the thing we’ve prayed for, we know.

#4 “and your joy will be complete.”
It is a true blessing to see God answer our prayers. It is a partnership that he desires even more than us. Our complete joy in the situation is a reflection of his own joy.

Bible Study on John 16:24

Expert Overview of John Ch. 13-21

Biblical Translations of John 16:24

NIV
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

NLT
“You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”

ESV
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

KJV
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

NKJV
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”