In one of my last posts I touched upon a profound shift in New Testament prayer—a radically different approach compared to the old covenant prayers some of us, perhaps unknowingly, still offer. There’s a crucial distinction, and honestly, if this seems revolutionary, don’t blame me!
Blame Paul! Or rather, credit the transformative revelation given to Paul concerning the finished work of Christ.
The truth is, there’s a monumental difference between the Old Covenant (which, unless you were an Israelite, you were never truly part of) and the New Testament. And this difference reveals a total and fundamentally new way to pray.
You are an heir in the Kingdom of God. Now, pray like you are!
What do we then understand as Prayer?
Jesus Himself unveiled this profound difference between an old covenant prayer and a New Testament prayer in John 16:23-24:
"And in that day ye shall ask (erōtaō) me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask (aiteō) the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked (aiteō) nothing in my name: ask (aiteō), and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (plēroō)."
Notice the two distinct Greek words for "ask"? This subtle yet profound change in vocabulary is the key to understanding our New Testament authority in prayer.
What is "That Day"?
What is "the day" that Jesus uses to separate these two forms of "asking"? It is the day the full price was paid completely, once and forever!
Jesus explained this "little while" to His disciples, saying: "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me" (John 16:16). He was explaining the fullness and purpose of His death on the cross, His glorious resurrection, and the subsequent outpouring of His Spirit. The grand design was that the joy of mankind might be complete, perfected, made full.
“That Day” is a specific day.
This points directly to the finished work of Christ!
His will for us is to be satisfied in the most complete sense of the word.
The Greek word πληρόω (plēroō) means to make replete, finish, verify, to accomplish, to make perfectly full. This isn't just about feeling happy; it's about being filled to overflowing, achieving the fullness of purpose for which we were created. As John 10:10 declares, Jesus came that we "might have life, and that [we] might have it more abundantly." This abundance is the plēroō of joy.
... And the "Asking" Part?
In the Greek language, there's more than one word to convey the concept of "asking" or prayer, and Jesus masterfully uses them to highlight the transition from Old to New Testament prayer.
One - When Jesus uses the first "ask" in John 16:23, it is the word ἐρωτάω (erōtaō). Here, it means to ask a favor, beg, beseech, desire, entreat, pray; to question, ascertain by inquiry. This was the old covenant way to approach God – often through begging, travailing, and consuming oneself in earnest supplication, much like a servant pleading with a master. While God certainly heard such prayers, the dynamic was one of seeking favor.
So, Jesus says that in "that day" (after the cross, after His work is complete) we will beg Him nothing more. Why? Because the relationship has fundamentally changed!
Two - When Jesus uses the word "ask" again (after "that day"), He now consistently uses a different Greek word – αἰτέω (aiteō). This word has an altogether different meaning. It means to strictly demand something due!
Aiteō stems from a root Greek word that essentially conveys that which is strictly a demand of something due. It speaks of a right, a claim, an expectation based on a legal standing.
When Jesus speaks, it's always good to pay close attention. Instead of begging like the old covenant way, following "that day," we can now demand something already there for the taking!
Jesus is talking about restored, New Testament, dominion authority. He says we can now demand (and command) something (like health, prosperity, protection, peace, wisdom, or anything else necessary for a full life), something that He had taken upon Himself, accomplished, and which is now due to us as heirs. Because He overcame and emerged victoriously, we are now, after "that day," in a position to lay claim to all His goodness and provision! This echoes Hebrews 4:16, inviting us to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Can you see the finished work of the cross there? It's the foundation of our new legal standing - one with Christ!
"In That Day" ... is Today?
Let me paraphrase as I did once before, into simple English:
Jesus says, "In this day (today), you will no longer beg Me, but as an absolute truth I tell you, when you will demand whatever is due (provided for by My finished work on the cross and beyond), the Father, in My Name, He will give to you. And your joy will be absolute!"
This isn't just a future promise; it's a present reality for those who believe. As Ephesians 2:6 beautifully states, God "raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Our position has changed!
What Then About Paul's Prayer?
Paul, the apostle of grace, consistently prays New Testament prayers. He prays that our minds be blown as we become aware and discover our authority in Christ in the revelation of what He had accomplished for us. His prayers are not characterized by begging, but by declarations of received truth and petitions based on our inheritance.
He prays in Ephesians 3:14-21:
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Master Yahushua the Messiah, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That the Messiah may dwell in your hearts by faith; That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of the Messiah, which passeth knowledge, That ye might be filled with all the fulness of יהוה. Now unto him that is able (δύναμαι, dúnamai) to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask (αἰτέω, aiteō) or think, according to the power (δύναμις, dúnamis) that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the assembly by the Messiah Yahushua throughout all ages, world without end. Amein."
Paul truly means what he says, emphasizing the authority we have by "asking" (aiteō) "exceeding abundantly above all."
"Exceedingly abundantly above all" – The Greek phrase here is ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ (hyperekperissou), an emphatic compound indicating above, in excess, and far beyond our most elaborate demands. It's an "excessively-over-the-top beyond"!
This word says, "to Him Who has power (δύναμαι, dúnamai) far above, in excess, and beyond (above - the excessively-over-the-top beyond) what we ask (αἰτέω – that root Greek word that essentially means that which is strictly a demand of something due) or pray for... according with the power (δύναμις, dúnamis - the same Spirit that raised Jesus from death) that works inside of us..."
Does that Power work in you? The same Power that raised Christ from the dead now indwells believers (Romans 8:11)! This is the aiteō-Power in action!
Jesus said it!
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).
His victory is our victory, and because of it, we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1), and a Comforter who lives within us.
"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7).
And He did! The Holy Spirit, the Paraklētos (παράκλητος - one called alongside to help), is our constant guide and enabler, leading us into all truth (John 16:13). As Romans 8:14 states, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." This is not an Old Covenant external leading, but an internal guidance into our inheritance.
Therefore…
"... ask (αἰτέω, aiteō), and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24).
See the promise there? It's a promise to those who understand their identity as sons and daughters, adopted (υἱοθεσία, huiothesia) into God's family (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5) through the finished work of Christ. As heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (συγκληρονόμος, synklēronomos) (Romans 8:17), we have the right to demand what is rightfully ours through His sacrifice.
HalleluYAH!
The Answer
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). And for those who have called upon His name, the privilege to demand in His Name for the fullness of His provision is our inheritance and divine right in the New Testament!