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How to Ask of God - Lessons From Solomon

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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  - Mark 11: 24 (NIV)

Trust in the Lord and do good;   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord,   and he will give you the desires of your heart.  - Psalm 37: 3-4 (NIV)

It certainly appears that Scripture confirms it! So why then do so many times we feel unanswered? Why then do we feel as if the heavens are brass? I think it is often a combination of two factors. The first is that we fail to see the answer "no" as being a gift from God. Yet we are supposed to believe Romans 8:28, which says that He is working all things together for our good! Let's face it beloved - sometimes we think we know better than God! He says no but we still think that person is right for us. He says no but we still think that new job opportunity is perfect for us. This all ties into the other factor - we simply are asking with the wrong motive:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in u s?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:"God opposes the proud   but shows favor to the humble."   Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  - James 4: 1-10 (NIV)

If we were honest with ourselves we would have to admit that more often than not we are asking of God from a carnal mindset. The Bible tells us that we are supposed to be a new creation in Christ but sometimes our thinking is the last thing we change. We ask out of greed. We ask out of lust. We ask even though we know God has said no. Yet what does the Bible teach us?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.  - Romans 12: 2 (NIV)

The truth is that we often are seeking to understand the will of God while we are still deep in carnal thinking. It simply will not work like that. Remember the things of God are foolishness to those who are perishing because they do not have the Spirit of God within them to help them understand. The Bible says the Spirit will lead us into all truth and we know the truth is the Word of God. What are you saying preacher? Beloved - we need to take our carnal thinking and put it up against the Word of God and ask the Holy Spirit living inside of us to illuminate the Scriptures for us! To bring them to life so that our thinking can move from carnal to eternal and our minds can become renewed and our lives can be transformed! I know that may not be easy. We have to abandon ourselves and our pride but as the James Scriptures teach us - God shows favor to the humble.

And humble Solomon was when he asked of the Lord in the key verses. Within his request we find our third lesson. We need to have a kingdom mindset when we ask of God! There are three elements to a kingdom mindset shown here by Solomon. The first element is praise for what God has already done. Man lives in a "what have you done for me lately" mindset but God's ways of thinking are so much higher beloved. He is worthy of all praise. If God never did another thing for me I still owe Him everything for Calvary alone! For taking my punishment and my sins, so that I might live the eternal life I live today. Bless me? He already has more than I can fathom. In the key verses we see that before Solomon asks for anything - he acknowledges all God has already done for his father David and by allowing him to be king. What does this aspect of a kingdom mindset accomplish? First of all it establishes the correct roles. When we pray or ask God for anything, we should never approach it petulantly. I know that may sound obvious but remember the tax collector and the Pharisee:

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Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to (more...)
 
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