He Himself is the Answer

E. Stanley Jones was a missionary, a theologian, and a prolific writer. In his devotional book titled In Christ he shows that a life lived in Christ is a life lived for others:

"'I write to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.' (1 John 5:13-15.) Apart from this and another passage in John's Gospel there is almost no mention of prayer and its answers in the 'in Christ' passages. Why? We would have thought that this would be the main emphasis, for in many minds it is the main desire--to be in Christ so that you will have your prayers answered.

"The reason seems to be this: When you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you have the answer. He Himself is the Answer! When you have Him you have everything you need--plus. While you are in Him your needs are automatically supplied. 'My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' Anyone who is in Christ Jesus has every need supplied, guaranteed if you are in Him.

"This passage takes that for granted and speaks in the next verse about praying for a brother who sins. The account says, 'he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal.' (1 John 5:16.) This verse points to requests made of Him as requests for others . . . It points to intercessory prayer rather than prayer for personal needs. Having those needs guaranteed by the fact of being in Christ you now have a heart 'leisured' so you can reach out and take on your soul the needs of others. That is spiritual maturity. And that is a culminating point in being in Christ--you want others to be 'in.' It is your prayer and your endeavor.

"O Father, being in Jesus is heaven and my deepest desire is to bring others in so that they too may taste and know this heaven. My prayer today is that I will find one of those this day and lead him to the heaven of forgiveness and being in Thee. Amen.

". . . Now that I am in Christ my deepest wish is that others may be in too."