John 16:23-24
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
Have you ever heard that saying, "Be careful what you ask for!"? I was thinking about that in light of our relationship with God...and in fact, in light of our relationship with anyone. Thinking like that and accepting all that those words imply, mean we are gulping down fear instead of spitting it out. We are allowing it to put chains around us so that we stay right where we are. We think we are safe in our lives where nothing will change, but instead we are bound by closed thinking and living. Is not the Christian life one that requires guts and recklessness? Did Christ live a life where he was careful about pushing the limits? If you have ever read the Bible, you know that he lived a life so daring, yet wise, that he baffled the heads of state and the most lowly of people. Was he careful about what he said? He said what he knew to be true. He said what the father told him to say. He prayed the way the Father and Spirit instructed. I find myself hesitant at times to pray the way that the Bible states. It's risky, yes. It will definitely change your life. You will be answered, in one way or another, in unexpected ways, in crazy ways at times. But, it is SO worth it.
I am not going to be careful for asking God for miracles, to love others more, for him to bring circumstances into my life so that those prayers can be answered. Yes, it's kind of scary to think how he could answer prayers we pray that will directly challenge us and make us decide if we will take the chance to do things he wants us to do. He may ask us to step completely out of our comfort zones for his glory and our benefit. We may not realize it at the time. So, why avoid praying in such a way that leaves you open to the unknown? The benefits outweigh the risks by and large.
It reminds me of how children are. We are the children of God, so it makes sense that God would treat us as a good parent treats their child. A good parent knows and understands their child to a point where they can tell when and how they should teach them lessons. If you try to teach your two year old Algebra, you will probably get disappointed. If you don't teach them to share and play, you will be dealing with more behavior problems later in life, and they will. God knows where we are. He knows when it's time to teach us things. If the child never asks for things, even though we know they may be good for them, we may believe they aren't ready for those lessons. Thank goodness, God is aware of when and how we are ready. But he wants us to communicate with him...to commune and have a deeper relationship with him. He wants us to want him. And that is what those good and perfect gifts lead us to. They lead us to him. I am praying through my fear today for those things that I lack in my life that he is so willing to give. I pray you do the same.
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
Have you ever heard that saying, "Be careful what you ask for!"? I was thinking about that in light of our relationship with God...and in fact, in light of our relationship with anyone. Thinking like that and accepting all that those words imply, mean we are gulping down fear instead of spitting it out. We are allowing it to put chains around us so that we stay right where we are. We think we are safe in our lives where nothing will change, but instead we are bound by closed thinking and living. Is not the Christian life one that requires guts and recklessness? Did Christ live a life where he was careful about pushing the limits? If you have ever read the Bible, you know that he lived a life so daring, yet wise, that he baffled the heads of state and the most lowly of people. Was he careful about what he said? He said what he knew to be true. He said what the father told him to say. He prayed the way the Father and Spirit instructed. I find myself hesitant at times to pray the way that the Bible states. It's risky, yes. It will definitely change your life. You will be answered, in one way or another, in unexpected ways, in crazy ways at times. But, it is SO worth it.
I am not going to be careful for asking God for miracles, to love others more, for him to bring circumstances into my life so that those prayers can be answered. Yes, it's kind of scary to think how he could answer prayers we pray that will directly challenge us and make us decide if we will take the chance to do things he wants us to do. He may ask us to step completely out of our comfort zones for his glory and our benefit. We may not realize it at the time. So, why avoid praying in such a way that leaves you open to the unknown? The benefits outweigh the risks by and large.
It reminds me of how children are. We are the children of God, so it makes sense that God would treat us as a good parent treats their child. A good parent knows and understands their child to a point where they can tell when and how they should teach them lessons. If you try to teach your two year old Algebra, you will probably get disappointed. If you don't teach them to share and play, you will be dealing with more behavior problems later in life, and they will. God knows where we are. He knows when it's time to teach us things. If the child never asks for things, even though we know they may be good for them, we may believe they aren't ready for those lessons. Thank goodness, God is aware of when and how we are ready. But he wants us to communicate with him...to commune and have a deeper relationship with him. He wants us to want him. And that is what those good and perfect gifts lead us to. They lead us to him. I am praying through my fear today for those things that I lack in my life that he is so willing to give. I pray you do the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment