Sword of the Spirit – Not My Friend #1103

Posted on June 25, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1103

“Not My Friend”

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:4

Friendship transcends casual acquaintances and implies a close mutual bond between people.

The world and all its material appeal is not and should not be your friend. Our flesh is easily trapped in worldliness – that is a love for the things of this world that grew out of friendship with the world. This worldliness becomes a wedge that distances us from a close relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus. Our affections become divided and God calls us an adulterous people.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

How many of us have neglected reading, meditating, and praying the Word of God choosing instead to work, play, or indulge in other worldly fleshly pursuits? How many times have we pushed our relationship with God aside as we clamored for more material wealth, and possessions?

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? – Matthew 16:26 

We can learn from the account of Lot in the book of Genesis. Lot chose the best land when He and Abraham went different directions. Later we see that he has pitched his tent near the city of Sodom. (Genesis 13:11-12) Then we see that he was captured by an enemy as one of the residents of Sodom. (Genesis 14:11-12) Friendship with the things of this world drew him in deeper and deeper and his soul was tormented by the sinfulness of the area he was immersed in. (2 Peter 2:7-8)

God loves the world, which are the people of the world that He created in His own image. He loves us even steeped in our sin and He sent Jesus, His Son to bear the punishment for our sin and make a way for us to have eternal life with Him.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

We are to love the world as Jesus loved the world – He loved the people of the world and abhorred worldliness. He loved the people enough to die for them but reserved the intimacy of friendship for those who repented and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. – John 15:14-15

We are to live in this world as Jesus did, loving others, caring for them, We are to impact the world for Christ and not allow the world to impact and corrupt us to the exclusion of our friendship with God.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

May you walk in this world as a citizen of Heaven avoiding the trap of worldliness. May you enjoy the close friendship, love, and abiding presence of Jesus continually.

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Sword of the Spirit – Share Your Truth #1102

Posted on June 19, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1102

“Share Your Truth”

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. – Mark 5:18-20 

Every one of us who has accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior has been commissioned to share the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:16-20

Every one of us who has received the free gift of salvation has come to Christ in the bondage of sin and by His sacrifice on the cross has been set free – our chains have been broken. This truth needs to be shared with those who also need to come to Jesus.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. – John 4:28-30 

Every one of us will encounter ‘divinely ordained opportunities’ to share our truth.  People will cross our paths, situations will occur, a question will be asked, and you will sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit deep within your soul to broach the subject and share what Jesus has done for you and what He can do for the people you are speaking with. We need to be ready for these divine opportunities.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus… be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching… – 2 Timothy 4:1-3

I confess, and you can probably relate, that I have not always been ready and for a variety of lame excuses have quenched the Spirit and remained silent. Lord, forgive my silence and failure to speak and share the Truth of your Word. I do not want stones to speak in my place.

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” – Luke 19:39-40

May the Light of Christ, His indwelling presence and power, shine forth freely in your life.

May you be empowered by the Holy Spirit with boldness to speak Truth to dispel darkness and break the chains that hold people in bondage to sin.

May you share your truth – your story about what Jesus has done for you and may that story plant a seed for the Holy Spirit to nurture in others that they too may be set free and receive salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16

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Sword of the Spirit – Afflicted #1101

Posted on June 10, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1101

“Afflicted”

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; – 2 Corinthians 4:8

Afflicted means to distress with mental or bodily pain; trouble greatly or grievously. For example: To be afflicted with arthritis. Job was afflicted. Paul and Silas were afflicted as were the other Apostles and Disciples.

Jesus was afflicted.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted…- Isaiah 53:4, 7 

Why then are we surprised by our afflictions? Why do we question God’s love for us when He allows us to be afflicted? The Truth of His Word tells us to expect affliction in this life.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…; I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” –  John 15:20; 16:33

We are afflicted for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we bring it upon ourselves as a natural consequence of our actions.

Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; …Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. – Psalm 107:17-20

Sometimes God allows affliction in order to get our attention – to turn us away from our stiff-necked stubborn rebellion.

He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity; Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. – Job 36:15; Psalm 119:67, 71

Other times God allows affliction as part of His perfect plan for our good and for the good of others.

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. – John 9:1-3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Psalm 34:19; Romans 8:28

May you:  be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12 (NIV)

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Sword of the Spirit – Eternal Life #1100

Posted on June 4, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1100

“Eternal Life”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life; …And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. – John 3:16; 17:2-3

Have you ever pondered eternity? We tend to reflect on the past, the present and what the future might bring and we make plans and schedules and timelines. Our finite concept of time makes eternity seem like a very long time and difficult to comprehend.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God; God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day – Psalm 90: 2; Genesis 1:5

God is beyond the concept of time. He has always been and always will be. He has no beginning and no end. Time was created by God for the physical universe and it has no meaning in eternity. God is eternal – always in the ‘now’ – the present. There is no past or future, just the eternal forever and ever now.

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. – 2 Peter 3:8

Maybe as I approach the septuagenarian milestone I have become more keenly aware of how fast the decades of my life in this body have past by and how few of them remain – there is so much more I want to do – to see – to accomplish.

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. – Psalm 90:10

Of all that I have achieved or desire to accomplish in this life on earth only one thing matters – and that is my choice to accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life that God has provided through Jesus Christ.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life; For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – John 5:24; Romans 6:23

We have a choice to make in the now. We cannot make it in the past nor should we postpone it to make in the future because we do not know how much future there is for us.

…yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. – James 4:14

Eternity awaits all of us and our eternal destiny is our choice. Either we will spend an eternal now perpetually tormented in hell or we will enjoy eternal life in heaven in the presence of God and our Lord Jesus. God, in His mercy and grace has provided the way to salvation for us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me; My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand – John 14:6; 10:27-28

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

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Sword of the Spirit – Living Hope #1099

Posted on May 28, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1099

“Living Hope”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, – 1 Peter 1:3

The current Covid 19 pandemic has set our world societies in a tailspin. People are dealing not only with the loss of health and life but also with the loss of jobs and interpersonal relationships.

World leaders and medical experts are desperately seeking to instill hope in the masses through daily briefings of their plans and efforts to stop the spread of the virus. However, worldly hope is finite, temporary, fleeting and changeable. Worldly hope leaves us empty and in despair.

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. – Psalm 33:17

There is a hope however that is rock solid and true. This hope is living, dynamic and renewable – tailored to meet the unique needs of everyone who is born again through Jesus Christ.

Living hope is hope for living – in this life and with the assurance of eternal life with Him. The Apostle Paul wrote about this Living Hope through Jesus.

… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11-13

Life on this earth will bring many up and down circumstances as the Apostle Paul describes. Through it all we learn to be content, trusting in the Lord to see us through.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

The Living Hope through Jesus is not a one-time ‘stimulus check’ – here today, and gone tomorrow. It is continually renewable meeting the precise needs of each day’s circumstances.

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more; So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, – Psalm 71:14; 2 Corinthians 4:16, 17

It is hard to view this pandemic as a light and momentary affliction, but it is. Because He lives, we have Living Hope and can face each day and the days to come in His power and strength.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering…;

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer;

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Hebrews 10:23; Romans 12:12; 15:13

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Sword of the Spirit – Drive Them Out #1098

Posted on May 21, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1098

“Drive Them Out”

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. – Numbers 33:55

Have you ever had thorny cockleburs caught in your clothing? It is amazing how such tiny little pricks can bring such pain and discomfort. Imagine what a thorn in your side or a barb in your eye would feel like.

This is the troublesome misery image that God’s Word paints for us if we allow the ‘near occasion of sin’ to remain in our lives.

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out; Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness… – Acts 3:19; Romans 6:12-14

Having accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we repented of our sins and turned away from the sinful life we led and began to follow Him. However, many of us fail to let go and drive out some things in our life that trip us up and tempt us to sin again.

We may have to let go of relationships that are spiritually unhealthy. There are environments, bars, clubs; venues that we used to frequent that become tormenting thorns in our sides if we continue to go there. There are habits, things that we were entertained by that we must deny ourselves and drive them out of our lives.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. – Matthew 16:24, 5:29-30

Jesus teaches us that we will have to deny our flesh, take up our cross and crucify the things in our life that hinder His abiding holy presence in us. To emphasize the importance of His point Jesus uses hyperbole to intentionally exaggerate the measures we need to take to drive out the things that cause us to sin. Jesus is not advocating that we maim ourselves but He is making His point that nothing in this world is worth missing out on the salvation God has offered us through His sacrifice.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

May you drive out completely all that hinders your walk with Christ.

knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. – 2 Peter 3:17

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Sword of the Spirit – Shall I Go? #1097

Posted on May 14, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1097

“Shall I Go?”

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps; I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. – Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 32:8

High card deals. Lowest roll of dice goes first. Heads I win, Tails you lose. These are some common decision-making tools we use. However, when it comes to major decisions we are faced with at the various crossroads of life we desire a more precise method of making choices. This is when we need to inquire of the Lord.

In the Old Testament we see how David inquired of the Lord using the Urim and Thummim, a form of casting lots, coupled with a prophetic word.

… Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” – 1 Samuel 30-8

The use of lots to know God’s will and direction was predominately a pre-Pentecost practice. So what is the New Testament equivalent of inquiring of the Lord? How are we to seek specific guidance today? How does God speak to us when we inquire of Him?

To inquire and hear from the Lord we must first be aligned and attuned to His will. We need to have a heart after God’s own heart as was David’s and walk by the Spirit and not after the flesh.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do;…we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. – Galatians 5:16 -17 (ESV); Colossians 1:9-12 (The Message)

Our primary means of inquiring of the Lord is through His Word and by His Holy Spirit.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

When we are quiet before the Lord His direction is often spiritually discerned. A ‘yes’ can be a sense of peace or a nudge in a direction. A ‘no’ leaves us with an uncomfortable feeling and a sense that that particular direction does not feel right. Sometimes the Lord opens a door to a new opportunity while closing another one as a means of directing our steps.

…the Father…will give you another Helper, to be with you forever; And the Lord will guide you continually…; And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. – John 14:16; Isaiah 58:11; Isaiah 30:21

The Lord will sometimes send someone with the gift of prophecy to speak a word of direction to you. Always take a prophetic Word to the Lord in prayer to test its validity.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  – 1 John 4:1

May the Lord give you clear direction as you inquire of Him.

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Sword of the Spirit – Stiff Necked #1096

Posted on May 6, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1096

“Stiff Necked”

You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit… – Acts 7:51

I confess that I have had a tendency to be pridefully stubborn and pig-headed at times. God’s Word calls that being ‘stiff-necked’ and by the grace of God He is continually working in me to transform that character trait into a one of compliant tenaciousness that He can use for His glory.

The Bible tells us about stiff-necked people that God transformed for His good purposes.

Jonah was stiff-necked and resisted God.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah…Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord… – Jonah 1:1-3

Paul actively resisted God by persecuting Jesus.

And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ – Acts 26:14

It is The Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin and draws us to repentance and salvation through Jesus. How many times have we heard the Truth of His Word preached and felt the tug in our hearts to repent or to answer an altar call but we resisted in our stiff-necked pride and grieved Him?

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment... And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption – John 16:8-1; Ephesians 4:30

Have you ever been asked for counsel and have your advice rejected immediately without consideration? How did that make you feel? That feeling is a small taste of the grief we give the Holy Spirit, our Counselor when we quench His guidance.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you; And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left; Do not quench the Spirit. – John 14:26; Isaiah 30:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Our pridefulness and stiff-necked tendencies do not go away once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our sanctification is a work in process and will remain so until we are glorified on the last day.

May you yield to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit as He counsels you in the way you should go.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that …you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

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Sword of the Spirit – Water of Life #1095

Posted on May 1, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1095

“Water of Life”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. – Revelation 22:17

When scientists look for life as we know it on other planets they look for the presence of water. Water sustains us and without it our bodies would shrivel up and die. It is no wonder then that God’s Word uses physical water as a metaphor to teach us about eternal life. The Water of Life speaks of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a born-again Christian.

… Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. – John 4:10-14; John 3:5

Water hydrates our bodies such that our cells are provided with oxygen and nutrients to maintain health and vitality. So too, The Water of Life flows through us bringing the Love of Christ to others.

…Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive… – John 7:37-39

Water refreshes us physically as The Water of Life refreshes us spiritually with hope and confidence in the Word of God.

And he said to me… To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. – Revelation 21:6-7

Just as water washes and cleanses us down to our cellular level so also The Water of Life cleanses us from all impurities and the stain of sin.

…Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:9

Like the steady flow of water that carved the Grand Canyon, The Water of Life wears away obstacles and all that hinders our walk with Jesus.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. – Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 26:7

Water rehydrates our bodies and softens hardened, dehydrated cells. So too, The Water of Life rehydrates our hardened hearts that we may walk in obedience to the Word of God.

For thus says the One … whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. – Isaiah 57:15

May The Water of Life flow to you and through you bringing encouragement, love, peace, joy and the presence of Jesus to all you encounter in this life and to eternity with Him.

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Sword of the Spirit – Asking God #1094

Posted on April 24, 2020 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1094

“Asking God”

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened… – Matthew 7:7-9

The Bible has so much to say about asking God, yet for many Christians this remains a most confusing aspect of our relationship with our heavenly Father. Church doctrines also vary widely on the topic which adds to the confusion. So how do we balance the sum of the Scripture on the topic?

We begin by acknowledging that God is Sovereign and His Word is Truth without error. Our Father in heaven is not an eternal ATM where all we need to do is follow a prescribed set of prayers, make our request and receive what we want. We cannot presume to usurp His throne and place ourselves in His position. His will prevails.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will; And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. – Ephesians 1:1; 1 John 5:14-15

In addition, we need to understand and accept that God does not always say, ‘Yes’. God sometimes says ‘No’ and ‘Not Yet’. Our Father loves us more than we can imagine and He wants the best for us. Jesus prayed in the garden for the cup to pass from Him, yet God allowed the crucifixion to proceed. Paul prayed for the ‘thorn in his flesh’ to be removed and God told him ‘No’. We have to trust in God and in His perfect will for us. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

God wants us to ask – but with the right motive. Like the Janis Joplin song asking God for a Mercedes because her friends all had Porsches, are our prayer requests merely ‘keeping up with the Jones’? …You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. – James 4:2-3

Our prayer requests should glorify Jesus and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. – John 14:13; John 15:16

Our Father wants us to ask – but in the right context. We must not ignore God until such time as we need something from Him. We must have an abiding relationship with Him through Jesus. This abiding presence of Jesus gives us faith, confidence and casts out doubt.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you; And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” – John 15:7; Matthew 21:22

May your hearts’ desire align with God’s perfect will for you through the abiding presence of Jesus.

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