Have you ever gone through a time of change or difficult time in your life (job, relationship, move, financial, etc.) when you wanted it to come out a certain way and were praying with all your heart that God would make it so?
We spend a lot of times praying for things in our lives. In “With Christ in the School of Prayer,” Andrew Murray writes that we “allow” God to keep His integrity by adding terminology like “if it’s God’s will.”
So, how do we reconcile unanswered prayers with verses like John 14:13, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name.” Well, we need to do a better job of looking at not only this verse but some of the surrounding verses in 14 and 15. Jesus’ promise is conditional.
Here are some of them:
In my name: ask yourself, “is this something Jesus would have prayed for?”
Abides in me: how much does your life depend on Jesus?
Believes in: you know what I mean here, Christian:)
So that the Father may be glorified: does your request bring glory to God?
The works I have been doing: do we spend our time and prayer energy on the things that really interest God?
Drive By Theology 