For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Matthew 7:8 (NIV)
Jesus’ bid for us “to ask” is found in all four of the gospels and in all four gospels He promises we will receive. Surely this is not by accident. It has been said "reiteration is for memorization". To memorize is to “learn by heart”. Do you know this promise by heart? Deep down on the inside do you know that you know, that you know, that God hears and answers your prayers? Are you confident that He is working all things together for your good? Do you have complete assurance that He is at work right now "behind the scenes" bringing divine encounters and opportunities for you to be able to experience His favor and goodness today? You should! In Isaiah 43 the Lord tells us to look around. He says He is making a way in the wilderness, and He is making rivers in the desert, all for His people! The wilderness and the desert are harsh places to live. Are you living in some harsh circumstances? Are your relationships dry? Is your checking account barren? Have bad habits left you weak and easy prey for the enemy? Do you know someone else that might be living in one of these harsh places? God says, "good news!" His promise is: "I am going to make a way out and give you sustenance on the journey!" If there is a problem with what we have, it is in direct correlation to what we know and believe. God has told us we are joint heirs with Christ, and He has inherited the earth and everything in it, people included! Those who have no knowledge of God or His plan for their life are spiritually blind. The Lord says His people perish for lack of knowledge. What a terrible way for a child of God to spend their days and eventually perish…dumb and blind. We don’t have to live that way, but we can if we choose to. Jesus said He came to open the eyes of the blind.
In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” (NIV) Is your joy complete? Well, whose fault is that? We are told in James 4:2 “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (NIV) Have some confidence in your God today and talk to Him! Stop getting mad at everyone around you for not making your life complete and go to the one who can. We are called to put some pressure on our faith, not our family and friends. The bible teaches us in Hebrews 11:1 that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (KJV) He said faith...not our spouse and not our neighbor...is the substance of what we hope for. Believing God before you see His answer or promise come to fruition is your obligation as a “believer”. Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29 “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (NIV) Thomas had an issue with believing before he was able to see and has been called “Doubting Thomas” for over 2000 years since. How would you like that legacy? Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe because those are the ones who are living by faith and those are the ones living in Gods blessings. The bible teaches without faith it is impossible to please God. It tells us those who come to God must believe He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Do you believe your God will reward you because you are seeking Him and not the world or anybody else for your needs? Believe the truth about God today. He hears and answers prayers. Your prayers! You are blessed for believing He is your rewarder, and you are blessed for believing His promises will come to pass in your life!
Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. ~John 16:24 (NIV)
Are you living in harsh circumstances? In what ways has God already shown His faithfulness?
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