What does it mean to ask and you shall receive (John 16:24)?

from the old testament

• David writes, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). Those who "delight . . . in the Lord" will desire what the Lord desires. Our prayers are for God's will to be done; when we ask in His will, God gives what we ask.
• Sometimes, when God seem to be ignoring our prayers, it may be because they are not aligned with His will for our lives. As God said through the prophet Isaiah, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). Our omniscient God knows what is best for us, so if He isn't answering our prayer, it may mean that what we're asking for isn't what is best for us.

from the new testament

• In part of what is called the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus promises His disciples, "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). Asking for something in Jesus' name—i.e., praying in His name—means aligning prayers with His will. He will answer those prayers.
• Followers of Christ should want to live for Christ. Paul writes, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Accepting Christ as Savior results in spiritual transformation and, eventually, a prayer life in we ask for God to work out His will in our lives.
• The apostle John reaffirms this principle of prayer: "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us" (1 John 5:14).
• Using the analogy of a father giving good things to his children, Jesus says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). God gives us what is best for us, which may not always be what we ask for (James 4:3).

implications for today

In children's tales, a genie in a bottle that washes up on the beach and grants the one who releases it three wishes. Unfortunately, that's how some people view prayer. But God is not a cosmic genie, and prayer isn't meant to be like the list you gave your parents at Christmastime.

Prayer is our opportunity to praise God, thank Him for all He has done for us, seek His will, and yes, make requests of Him—but within His will. That's the context that applies to Jesus' statement to "Ask, and you will receive" (John 16:24). In this way, prayer is the chance to show that we submit our will to God despite what we might want. We trust Him enough to say, as Christ said, "nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39b).

Sometimes God’s answer is “yes,” sometimes it is “wait,” and sometimes it is “no,” but every response is founded in His perfect knowledge and goodness (Luke 11:13). As we come before Him, seeking His will, prayer becomes less about controlling outcomes and more about being transformed into people who trust Him deep enough to surrender and entrust outcomes completely to Him. This is where independence is replaced with dependence and where faith matures from asking for what we want to asking to see and live in accordance to what He is doing in our lives.