John 16:24 kjv
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24 nkjv
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
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.
John 16:24 esv
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24 nlt
You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
John 16 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 7:7 | Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Assurance of answered prayer |
| Luke 11:9 | So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Reinforcement of the principle |
| Mark 11:24 | Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. | The element of belief in prayer |
| Jer 29:12-13 | Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. | Seeking God with whole heart |
| 1 John 5:14-15 | And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 the requests that we have asked of him. | Prayer according to His will |
| Phil 4:6-7 | do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | Peace through prayerful requests |
| Matt 21:22 | And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. | Importance of faith in prayer |
| Ps 145:18 | The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. | God's nearness to those who call |
| Col 4:2 | Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. | Steadfastness in prayer |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Confidence in approaching God |
| Isa 55:6 | Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. | Time to seek the Lord |
| Ps 50:15 | Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. | Deliverance through calling |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | God hears the righteous |
| Prov 3:5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. | Trust and acknowledging God |
| Luke 18:1-8 | The Parable of the Persistent Widow concerning the need to pray and not lose heart. | Persistent prayer |
| Matt 13:45-46 | Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, representing seeking valuable things. | Seeking valuable things |
| Acts 1:14 | These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. | Unity in prayer |
| Acts 4:31 | When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. | Power of united prayer |
| James 4:3 | You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your pleasures. | Proper motives for prayer |
| Ps 66:18-19 | If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has heard the voice of my prayer. | Hearing of prayer |
John 16 verses
John 16 24 Meaning
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." This verse in John 16:24 encapsulates the encouragement of persistent and earnest prayer. It's a promise from Jesus to His disciples, assuring them that their prayers, when offered in faith and according to God's will, will be heard and answered. The repetition of actions—asking, seeking, knocking—highlights the importance of diligent and unwavering prayer. It speaks to a deep intimacy and confidence in approaching God, assured of His fatherly care and generosity.
John 16 24 Context
John 16:24 occurs in the Farewell Discourse of Jesus, delivered to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion. In this passage, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He explains that His going away is for their benefit, as it will allow the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to come. He foresees the persecution the disciples will face but also assures them of God's sustaining presence and the ultimate joy that will follow their present sorrow. Chapter 16 moves from discussing the coming persecution from the world (v. 1-4) to the joy that His return will bring (v. 20-22), framing the practice of prayer within this larger context of His impending absence and eventual glorification. The verse itself is a specific instruction within this framework, encouraging a confident and persistent approach to prayer before Jesus' physical departure.
John 16 24 Word analysis
- Ask (αἰτέω - aiteō): To ask, request, petition. This word implies a direct request made to someone in a position of authority or with the capacity to grant it. It is not a mere casual query but a plea for something needed or desired.
- it will be given (δοθήσεται - dothēsetai): Future passive indicative of δίδωμι (didōmi), meaning "to give." This is a strong assurance of reception. The passive voice suggests that God is the active giver.
- to you (ὑμῖν - humin): The plural "you" refers to the disciples Jesus is directly speaking to, but by extension, it applies to all believers who will follow Him.
- seek (ζητέω - zēteō): To look for, search out, desire. This is a more active and earnest pursuit than simply asking. It implies an effort to find something lost or hidden.
- you will find (εὑρήσετε - heurēsete): Future active indicative of εὑρίσκω (heuriskō), meaning "to find." This assures successful discovery through earnest seeking.
- knock (κρούω - krouō): To strike, beat upon, rap. This suggests persistent and insistent action at a door, seeking entrance or response. It conveys a sense of urgency and a refusal to give up.
- it will be opened (ἀνοιγήσεται - anoigēsetai): Future passive indicative of ἀνοίγω (anoigō), meaning "to open." Like "given," this passive construction highlights God's action in responding to the persistent knocking.
- to you (ὑμῖν - humin): Again, the plural "you" referring to the disciples and by extension all believers.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- Ask, seek, knock: The progression from "asking" (a direct request) to "seeking" (an active search) to "knocking" (persistent, insistent effort) illustrates increasing levels of earnestness and perseverance in prayer. Each verb escalates the intensity and commitment.
- it will be given, you will find, it will be opened: The parallel promises emphasize that God's response corresponds to the believer's earnestness. God guarantees to "give," "find," and "open" in response to these diligent actions. The repeated use of the future passive voice highlights God's sovereign action in answering.
John 16 24 Bonus section
This promise of effective prayer is often linked to Jesus' earlier teachings, such as in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:7-11), where He uses the same triad of verbs. The extension in Luke 11:10 with "then you will be given" further reinforces this message. The key underlying principle for unanswered prayer often relates to asking amiss or having a wrong attitude, as highlighted in passages like James 4:3 and 1 John 5:14-15 (asking according to His will). The assurance is profound because it's offered during a time when Jesus is preparing His followers for a period of trial, emphasizing that prayer is their vital connection to the Father even in absence and tribulation. The act of asking, seeking, and knocking also reflects the nature of approaching the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ, who has made the way.
John 16 24 Commentary
This profound statement from Jesus is a cornerstone of Christian teaching on prayer. It is not a blank check for any selfish desire, but rather an encouragement to approach God with bold confidence, believing in His willingness and ability to meet our needs according to His perfect will. The triple repetition—ask, seek, knock—is a literary device emphasizing the importance of perseverance in prayer. It moves from a simple request to an active pursuit and finally to insistent appeal, indicating that faith involves diligent effort and a refusal to become discouraged.
Jesus here teaches about the nature of a responsive God who delights in engaging with His children through prayer. He assures them that the Father's desire to give good things to His children (as explained later in Matthew 7:11) is genuine. This promise is rooted in Jesus' own relationship with the Father and the ultimate gift of His life and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples are to carry on their relationship with God through prayer, assured of access and reception.
Practical application involves approaching God with sincerity, with the right motives (not to gratify selfish desires, as cautioned in James 4:3), and with faith, believing that God hears and answers. It means not giving up when an immediate answer isn't apparent, but continuing to seek and to petition with gratitude and persistence, trusting in God's timing and plan.