Ask of Me
"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."" I Kings 3:5
Like most people I have a long written list of loved ones, friends and family, for whom I pray. I also have a list of temporary prayer requests in my head. And on top of that, the Lord often brings to mind some person of whom I have heard, or one I haven't thought of for some time-- often these are needy people that I don't know personally at all, or ones I just haven't seen in a long time. Sometimes I consider these lists, and my mind just blanks. So many needs out there! So many people I care about! How can I possibly pray for them all? It gets overwhelming-- and since I am a sinner, what often happens is that I end up shrugging my shoulders and not praying at all, or mumbling some uninspired prayer that feels as though it never even hit the ceiling, let alone the Throne.
Lately though, I've discovered a practise that galvanises my prayer. I imagine the Lord saying to me, " If you could ask of Me anything that you know I want to give you, what would you ask for? What do you want most that you know I will say Yes to? " Of course, the best way to answer this question is to go running to the Scripture to find out what those things are that I need that God values most in His people:
Am I lonely? Psalm 68:6: God sets the lonely in families, [ Or the desolate in a homeland ] he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Am I in need of resources? Matthew 6: 31-33 "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
What if I'm flummoxed as to what's next in life? Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
The Scriptures are solid gold currency for the Christian who knows how to ask for what the Lord wants. That saint will be certain to get what he wants!
SO, tell me: if you could ask for anything that you know for a certainty that the Lord wants to give you (or someone else), what would you ask for? Are you reminding the Lord daily of this?
Like most people I have a long written list of loved ones, friends and family, for whom I pray. I also have a list of temporary prayer requests in my head. And on top of that, the Lord often brings to mind some person of whom I have heard, or one I haven't thought of for some time-- often these are needy people that I don't know personally at all, or ones I just haven't seen in a long time. Sometimes I consider these lists, and my mind just blanks. So many needs out there! So many people I care about! How can I possibly pray for them all? It gets overwhelming-- and since I am a sinner, what often happens is that I end up shrugging my shoulders and not praying at all, or mumbling some uninspired prayer that feels as though it never even hit the ceiling, let alone the Throne.
Lately though, I've discovered a practise that galvanises my prayer. I imagine the Lord saying to me, " If you could ask of Me anything that you know I want to give you, what would you ask for? What do you want most that you know I will say Yes to? " Of course, the best way to answer this question is to go running to the Scripture to find out what those things are that I need that God values most in His people:
Am I lonely? Psalm 68:6: God sets the lonely in families, [ Or the desolate in a homeland ] he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Am I in need of resources? Matthew 6: 31-33 "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
What if I'm flummoxed as to what's next in life? Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
The Scriptures are solid gold currency for the Christian who knows how to ask for what the Lord wants. That saint will be certain to get what he wants!
SO, tell me: if you could ask for anything that you know for a certainty that the Lord wants to give you (or someone else), what would you ask for? Are you reminding the Lord daily of this?
posted by craigellachie at 1:18 PM
1 Comments:
since about March, I've gone to the Lord frequently with the promises in Malachi, to those who faithfully tithe. "Lord, you promised to pour blessings out so abundantly, that we wouldn't be able to contain them. Please remember that promise in our behalf"
Lo! and behold! He's answered! He continues to bless monetarily. I'm on the lookout for other Scripture passages to "pray," as you do, Eleanor. It's a wonderful practice.
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