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"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." John 15:7-8

We have been counseled to give strict heed to the words of the prophets; John is one of these. Here John tells us there are conditions to get answers to prayer. Following the footnote trail, I was led to further light and knowledge concerning this idea of abide.

"The fear (reverence or respect) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise  and instruction." Proverbs 1:7

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" Proverbs 3:6

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" 2 Nephi 32:3


We are all at different points along the path. Nevertheless, the commandment is the same for all; we need to feast on His Word, ask for direction, and spend a few quiet moments listening for instruction. True to His word, He will guide out paths. From doing the opposite at times and also following this advice at others, I know that good fruits are the result of seeking wisdom from God.  Our good fruit or godly successes reflect well on God, making us His good fruit. This glorifies God, especially when we acknowledge His hand in our lives. All this feasting, seeking, listening, and acknowledging make us His disciples. When we add testifying, we further give glory to God.

Likening this to my life, I must ask myself  if I abide in Christ. The test being, are my prayers answered? Do I glorify the Father by acknowledging Him and testifying of Him? Or am I just a bag of wind, talking about it but never really participating and playing at being a Christian.  Does His light shine in my eyes? When I see Him again will He say, "well done thou good and faithful servant" or "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity?"

God is good! He loves us and wants us to succeed. He has given us a wonderful guide book in the scriptures. He will enlighten us, when we are confused, if we pray and read His Word, the scriptures. We must do our part by asking, acknowledging, testifying, and giving the glory of our success to Him. We must live as He commands. We will feel tremendous joy if we act on His promises. That is not to say our lives will be perfect. On the contrary, we will be tried and tested throughout our lives that we may be turned from a diamond in the rough into something glorious and beautiful.