Have you ever had something that you wanted to have but could not get it?
I'm sure that the answer is yes. We all have.
It is not uncommon to want something. In fact, it would be abnormal not to desire or want something. To desire something is a part of human programming. Everyone has it.
There are times though when we couldn't get the object of our desires. It could be a new cell phone, a new house, a job promotion, a breakthrough, healing, guidance, love...the list never ends.
We all want something.
God is a loving Father who always wants the best for His children. We are His children. He will always lead us to what is good for us.
1 John 5:14-15 says this, And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
How do we ask God for what we want then?
We ask with our wants surrendered to His will. We ask with an open mind, just as Jesus did at the garden of Gethsemane before he was handed over to be crucified.
"My Father," he said, "if it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39)."
Jesus did not want to suffer. He could have ran away, but he surrendered himself to the will of the Father.
Jesus endured a lot of suffering, but had he went with his own will, no one would have a chance at salvation. He died in shame and agony, but he was raised up in glory and now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
Surrendering our wants to God is to open up ourselves for what is better. You could desire to have God open a Bible Study in your home so that you can learn more, but what if His will is to take you away from home so that you could be the one to teach the Bible to others? It could be that you want to be taught but what God wants is for you to teach. Which is better? Teachers always study and learn, so if this is the case, you would be taught as you teach. You are blessed the same time you are being a blessing to others.
Asking effectively is saying, "Lord, this is what I want. But if you have something better, Lord, then that's what I want." It is saying, "Lord, not my will be done, but yours."
You give up what you want for what He wants.
God always has something better for us than what we think. This is why Proverbs 3:5 said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. The Good News Translation puts it more plainly, saying, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.
Surrendering our wills to the Lord is a thrilling adventure. Whenever He doesn't give us exactly what we ask for,Hhe always gives us something better instead. He knows what is best.
We also ask God with persistence. We don't give up. Ask and keep on asking according to Matthew 7:7. Why? Because some things take time and we have to push through various obstacles before we see the answer.
See the Parable of the Persistent Widow:
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
"There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with constant requests!'"
Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith?" (Luke 18:1-8).
This passage speaks for itself concerning persistence. Like the widow, we must persist.
However, take note of the last sentence, But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith?
Whenever we ask God for anything, we have to do it with faith. We have to believe that He hears us and that He will grant us our requests. Anyone who comes to Him has to believe that He exists, and not only that, but there also has to be the conviction that He will reward our coming to Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Faith is the link between asking and receiving.
Even if we ask with openness but don't have faith, we will not receive.
Even if we ask persistently, without faith, there will be no answer.
So, the art of asking God is to ask with openness, to ask with persistence, and to ask with faith. He never disappoints. These three things in unity will help make our prayers effective.
Now all glory to God, who is able, though his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:21).
*All scriptures quotes are from the New Living Translation Bible unless stated otherwise.
Have you ever had something that you wanted to have but could not get it?
I'm sure that the answer is yes. We all have.
It is not uncommon to want something. In fact, it would be abnormal not to desire or want something. To desire something is a part of human programming. Everyone has it.
There are times though when we couldn't get the object of our desires. It could be a new cell phone, a new house, a job promotion, a breakthrough, healing, guidance, love...the list never ends.
We all want something.
God is a loving Father who always wants the best for His children. We are His children. He will always lead us to what is good for us.
1 John 5:14-15 says this, And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
How do we ask God for what we want then?
We ask with our wants surrendered to His will. We ask with an open mind, just as Jesus did at the garden of Gethsemane before he was handed over to be crucified.
"My Father," he said, "if it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39)."
Jesus did not want to suffer. He could have ran away, but he surrendered himself to the will of the Father.
Jesus endured a lot of suffering, but had he went with his own will, no one would have a chance at salvation. He died in shame and agony, but he was raised up in glory and now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
Surrendering our wants to God is to open up ourselves for what is better. You could desire to have God open a Bible Study in your home so that you can learn more, but what if His will is to take you away from home so that you could be the one to teach the Bible to others? It could be that you want to be taught but what God wants is for you to teach. Which is better? Teachers always study and learn, so if this is the case, you would be taught as you teach. You are blessed the same time you are being a blessing to others.
Asking effectively is saying, "Lord, this is what I want. But if you have something better, Lord, then that's what I want." It is saying, "Lord, not my will be done, but yours."
You give up what you want for what He wants.
God always has something better for us than what we think. This is why Proverbs 3:5 said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. The Good News Translation puts it more plainly, saying, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.
Surrendering our wills to the Lord is a thrilling adventure. Whenever He doesn't give us exactly what we ask for,Hhe always gives us something better instead. He knows what is best.
We also ask God with persistence. We don't give up. Ask and keep on asking according to Matthew 7:7. Why? Because some things take time and we have to push through various obstacles before we see the answer.
See the Parable of the Persistent Widow:
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
"There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with constant requests!'"
Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith?" (Luke 18:1-8).
This passage speaks for itself concerning persistence. Like the widow, we must persist.
However, take note of the last sentence, But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith?
Whenever we ask God for anything, we have to do it with faith. We have to believe that He hears us and that He will grant us our requests. Anyone who comes to Him has to believe that He exists, and not only that, but there also has to be the conviction that He will reward our coming to Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Faith is the link between asking and receiving.
Even if we ask with openness but don't have faith, we will not receive.
Even if we ask persistently, without faith, there will be no answer.
So, the art of asking God is to ask with openness, to ask with persistence, and to ask with faith. He never disappoints. These three things in unity will help make our prayers effective.
Now all glory to God, who is able, though his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:21).
*All scriptures quotes are from the New Living Translation Bible unless stated otherwise.
