request
The Desires of Our Heart
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! – James 5:17 NLT
Of course, we know that God already knows our needs and our situation, but He has instructed us to ask and keep on asking. Jesus told the story of the persistent woman and the unjust judge. She kept pestering the judge until he gave her what she was requesting. God does not always give us what we ask, because sometimes we ask for things that we don’t need. Psalm 37:4 tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Have you ever noticed that sometimes, when you pray fervently that what you end up asking from God is not what you were thinking about when you first started praying? That is when you can know that “the desires of your heart” have aligned with God’s Word and His will. Then the answer is always yes. But, if our desires don’t line up, then we often get a “no” or “wait”. Some people say that it is a cop out to pray “nevertheless not my will, but Yours be done”. But that is what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, if He set the example, it is a good pattern to follow.
“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous
Post 06-11-2017
His Way – His Day
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. — Psalm 90:16 NLT
Psalm 90:13-17 NLT
This Psalm is a prayer that Moses prayed to the Lord after God had given Israel the 40 year sentence in the desert for their disobedience. In it, Moses acknowledges that God is the Creator of all things and is still in control of all things. Moses understands that God not only created all things but that God has every right to give and take away as God sees fit. Just as Moses did, we must always acknowledge that whatever God chooses to do is just and right. His answers to our prayers are not always what we want to hear, but we can be sure that He always hears and answers in HIs own way and in HIs own time. After we have done that, we can present our requests to Him. Moses wanted God to show that generation and their children HIs power and glory once again. God chose not to relent until the 40 years had passed. During that time Moses passed away and Joshua became the leader of the children of Israel. It was then that God answered Moses’ prayer in the affirmative. He parted the waters of Jordan and gave the Israelites victory after victory against superior foes. He made their efforts successful. He is still doing the same things today in His own way and in His own time. “Ask and you shall receive” has not been removed from the Bible. Continue to walk in obedience, thanking God for His answer and when the time is right, we will see Him work and our children will see His glory.
Pray Fervently in Faith Expecting An Answer
Of course, we know that God already knows our needs and our situation, but He has instructed to ask and keep on asking. Jesus told the story of the persistent woman and the unjust judge. She kept pestering the judge until he gave her what she was requesting. God does not always give us what we ask, because sometimes we ask for things that we don’t need. Psalm 37:4 tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Have you ever noticed that sometimes, when you pray fervently that what you end up asking from God is not what you were thinking about when you first started praying? That is when you can know that “the desires of your heart” have aligned with God’s Word and His will. Then the answer is always yes. But, if our desires don’t line up, then we often get a “no” or “wait”. Some people say that it is a cop out to pray “nevertheless not my will, but Yours be done”. But that is what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, if He set the example, it is a good pattern to follow.
Post 09-02-14