“Keep praying in the name of our Lord Jesus.”
The message from John 16:16-24 is a consoling exhortation given by the Lord Jesus to Christians who were experiencing harsh persecution. I want to take it as a comforting advice from the Lord Jesus to the Christians who were facing severe persecution. The Lord Jesus repeatedly said, "In a little while you will not see me, but in a little while you will see me again.” The disciples did not understand the Lord Jesus' teaching at all.
The "ceasing to see" means that the Lord Jesus would die on the cross. The phrase "you will see Him again in a little while" probably means that the Lord Jesus has risen and that you can still encounter Him through the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that the Lord Jesus is still alive and working.
The Lord Jesus also said, "I tell you the truth. You weep and mourn, but the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy"(v. 20). Belief in God does not mean that affliction and sorrow will cease. Life is not that easy. Young people have their own struggles.
The elderly have a sense of loneliness that cannot be described in any way. However, for those who believe in God, there is a way of escape and hope shown by God, who is in control of life and death, even in the midst of tribulation.
The Lord Jesus compared it to a woman giving birth to a child. I was blessed with three children, but I had no idea of the pain my wife felt in childbirth. I just sat in a room near the delivery room and gawked. I still vividly remember my wife’s shrieking screams as the birth approached.
However, I will never forget the joy and serenity on my wife's face when each child was born.
Furthermore, the Lord Jesus said, "...now you also are grieving. But I will see you again, and you will rejoice with all your heart. No one will take away that joy" (v. 22). Finally, the Lord Jesus says, "In that day you will no longer ask Me anything, for I will be with you again" (v. 23).
“I tell you plainly. If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask, and it shall be given you. Ask, and it will be given to you, and you will be filled with joy" (vs. 23, 24).
One English translation of ”in my name" (The Amplified Bible) refers to Exodus 3:14. This is the word of God to which Moses is called. It is God Himself who created heaven and earth and all things. Praying in the name of the Lord Jesus is such a serious and profound thing. To pray in the name of the Lord Jesus is to stand before God, who knows everything. It is an encounter with God who knows our faults, our laziness, our arrogance, our shallowness, and so on. We may be shown God's judgment in one way or another. Or we may be given healing and comfort.
Some English translations of the word "ask" translate it as "keep on asking.” It is not enough to ask once or twice. We must keep praying for God's will to be done, week after week, year after year, decade after decade. God always hears our prayers.