by David Brenneman
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:13-15.
"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." James 4:1-10
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
It's rather interesting what our Bible says about asking God about things in our lives and the lives of people He deems to cross paths with us.
It really hit me this past week how often I was merely praying for a good day. How often that I was only praying for the bare minimum to get by or for someone to get through what they're experiencing.
Prayer is our God-given grace inspired, grace filled opportunity to talk with our Savior, Lord, most intimate friend of our lives...and we get all guilty about asking for the real and try to sound like we're ok with the generic answer if it's not too much trouble.
We then are asking for crumbs and not the dinner!
After having 10 months of reminders of the goodness of Jesus my Savior brought to mind in both my then present situation as well as being reminded over and over of past times He answered not in crumbs but in the whole...it brought me nearly to tears.
My current job certainly is one that has been beyond anything I could have asked for or considered possible. This opportunity isn't just to get paid or even paid well. On my first day and throughout the last 5 weeks...the Spirit has shown me that this is my mission field.
Do the job to the best of my ability as unto the Lord and keep my spiritual ears open and spiritual eyes looking for opportunities to be Jesus to those around me.
That is why I was so blessed to be brought there...not by my strength nor by my ability but by the work of God in Christ Jesus in me to reach others.
As the most excellent book "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper showed...God often orchestrates our lives and has allowed particular adversities in our lives...to prepare us to minister to unique individuals who will be touched no other way.
My life, your life in Christ, isn't for us to get every comfort our hearts desire. Life in Christ is imparted to us to be a witness to our personal Jerusalem, our personal Judea and our path to the uttermost parts of the world.
Our prayers should align with the work of God that He invites us to participate in. Pray small get small answers. Pray big with our mission in mind and be ready for big results.
I am overwhelmed at times by God's blessings. There's been days when they've almost been too much.
Yet these and more are awaiting our prayers for them in Christ Jesus if we're praying with right priorities and right motives.
There's no way to exhaust the warehouses of Heaven. Yet we live at times like we think they will or that we're unworthy to ask.
Jesus desires to see Himself in us and His workmanship in us is to achieve that.
I am learning to pray for great days not just good days. Learning to pray for His provision for bigger in life rather than to just not and be self-defeated before ever seeing if His answer might be yes.
As someone once said, sometimes our prayers require us to pick up a shovel before His answer will come.
Yesterday I worked on laying out railroad ties in preparation for what I am praying for. I don't know where the money will come from I only know that my God never runs out and He can make my request happen. He has already proven that time and time again.
What are you who are among the saved in Christ Jesus refusing to pray for because you deem yourself unworthy to ask? Why are you answering no to something before you ever see what His answer will be?
Do you ask for crumbs from your Master's table rather that take the seat He's offered you at His table to feast with Him?
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
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