DON’T ASK FOR A KID

“. . . and yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:”

LUKE 15:29 (KJV)

The inspiration for today’s article is from the story of the prodigal son who asked for all that pertained to him. Quite surprising is it that his father didn’t hesitate in granting him his request. Our Lord Jesus gave that parable as a picturesque of the heavenly father and the church as the event in the parable couldn’t have happened during the time of the law least the prodigal son would have been stoned to death for his sinful lifestyle.

The focus of this article is on the elder brother who got annoyed over the celebration of his brother’s return. He blamed his father for not giving him a kid to celebrate with his friend. I submit to you that the fault was not with the father, it was with the elder son who didn’t ask a thing of his father all the years he had been with him.

James said we have not because we do not ask, and this leads to envy amidst brethren. The younger brother understood grace well enough to ask for all and yet still had some on returning. The elder brother wouldn’t ask a thing of the father: expecting the father to use his discretion in giving him, more so as a reward for his service.

God’s blessings to us are not a reward for our service in his kingdom. The reward for our service is a different reality all together. Blessings are the riches of our father, and they are for the taking whenever we want for we’ve been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The father’s reply further proves the elder son’s negligence: “Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours.” He should have known better to ask whatever he wanted and being sure that the father will give him as he gave to his younger brother.

We have established that his fault was in not praying, should he have asked a thing of his father he probably might have asked for a kid. Do not ask for a kid, all the father has is yours.

IT’S UP TO YOU

“Therefore I say to you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”

MARK 11:24 (KJV)

We earlier saw from God’s word that one of the ways through which we can exercise our faith in God is through praying. This is very important as all that we desire are already realities in the realm of the spirit. Scripture assures us that we’ve been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus – Jesus became the security of our blessings.

Nevertheless, we still need to translate these blessings from heavenly – spiritual – places to earthly places. The only possibility to this would be through praying.

Praying and getting answers to prayer has been a major challenge for many, but Jesus gave us the solution to this challenge in our opening scripture – it’s up to you.

When we pray, we are expected to believe that we receive and we shall have what we desire. We are the ones to determine the answers we get. The point of praying is the point of receiving. Whatever you do not receive during prayer cannot be received outside prayer.

We’ve been blessed with all that we need for life and godliness and so all that is left is for us to receive the blessings. How do we receive in prayer? Simply by believing that we’ve been given what we desire and thanking God for the answer we already have.

Sometimes we pray and expect God to answer our prayers some days after praying. It does not work that way. God has already answered us in Jesus. Scripture says that all the promises of God are yes in him. God has said a big yes to your needs – it is his will for you.

The next time you pray to God don’t forget to take your answers before leaving – the name Jesus custodies your answers.

BE UNCONVENTIONAL

“. . . I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”

                2 KINGS 2:9(KJV)

Our opening scripture is the account prior to Elijah’s transit to heaven. Elijah had asked Elisha to request a thing that he would want him to do for him. And it is amazing that of all that Elisha could have asked for, he asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He sure did get what he asked for despite the fact that it was a hard thing he asked for – with God all things are possible.

The interesting thing about this account is that Elisha was unconventional in his request. No time in bible history have we heard of an event where a person got twice the spirit of another person. The closest we can come by was when God took the spirit on Moses and put it on seventy men: it was not even Moses’ spirit that was put on them, it was the spirit on him.

Elisha’s story challenges us to be unconventional in our requests. Do not let the fact that no one has ever received a blessing as the one you desire stop you from requesting it from God. I tell you, if that blessing does not exist in heaven, for your sake it will be fabricated.

God wants us to ask of him big and audacious things – he likes to get involved in things as that. Do not allow your present experiences or that of your background shrink your expectations of heaven.

Solomon was unconventional in his request for understanding, and scripture says that the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. God awaits your unconventional desires: he wants to begin a new thing with you.

PLACE NO LIMIT

“Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

                                                                                                EPHESIANS 3:20 (KJV)

As we place our trust in God for the manifestation of the desires of our heart, it is important we take heed that we place no limit to what we can receive from God.

Certain times we might be tempted to think that what we are about to ask of God is so big a thing for us to ask. I have personally experienced times as this as I believe you might have experienced also. We think this way because we are humans. There is nothing we will ask of God that is too big for him to do.

Our opening text lets us know that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly . . . notice that Paul could have said, “God is able to do abundantly. . .” rather he qualified the word “abundantly”. It is of note that God is able to exceed our definition of abundance.

The Children of Israel murmured for meat, and God told Moses that he was going to provide meat for them so much that they will have them to eat for a month until it comes out of their nostrils. Moses quickly brought God’s Knowledge to the fact that if all the flocks and herds be slain for them, or all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them that it wasn’t going to be sufficient for the people; immediately God replied Moses saying, “is the Lords hand waxed short? You shall see now whether my word shall come to pass or not.”

When God provided the quails, it was a day’s journey to the right and a day’s journey to the left, round about the camp and two cubits high above the ground. Try imagining this scene, it was a shocking miracle – God is able to do same and much more for you if only you can believe.

SO BE IT!

“And Jesus said to the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done to you. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour.”

                                                                                                                           MATTHEW 8:13 (KJV)

In scripture we see that everyone who came to Jesus believing left with the experience of what they had believed. Why is it so? The scripture of truth reveals Jesus as the Amen (Revelation 3:14), and amen means “so be it.” Is this not an interesting revelation that whenever we come into the presence of Jesus in prayer, his response to our desires is amen.

In our opening scripture, the centurion had just asked that Jesus healed his servant; he further displayed a strong belief in Jesus’ supernatural ability in forbidding him from coming to his house: requesting that he only spoke the word and that he was sure his servant would be healed at his word.

Jesus’ response to the centurions request and faith in him was: “so be it done to you.” Jesus still responds in this same way to our prayers, we only need to be away of this nature of his and his ability to grant us our desires.

We need to be cautious of the manner of our faith in God. Jesus said to the centurion, “as you have believed . . .” This he said with respect to the man’s request to have him speak the word only: this act was regarded as great faith. He could have believed Jesus for less.

Do you believe God to do great things for you? Do you believe him to accomplish your desires for you in an uncommon way? Express you absolute faith in God’s ability in the big things you request of him to do for you and in the supernatural way you expect them to happen for he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can think of or ask according to his power that is at work in you. Amen!