We all know the Bible verse “…With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). How much do we incorporate this verse into our every day life? In other words, do we truly believe the Lord can do anything in our life? This all depends on how much faith we have. Our faith should be so strong that even if the Lord says no, we are still willing to follow Him and we love Him, no matter what. Today, let us discuss how we can incorporate this and what can be the hindrances in making this true in our life.
When we read carefully what the verse is saying, it is saying that all things, not some things, are possible. When we come to God believing that He will help us, He will! Everything that happens in our life is according to God’s plan whether it is good or bad. Just because bad things happen, does not mean that God is witholding anything good! God has a reason for saying no or for delaying the answer. He will often mature us spiritually so that we can be ready to receive from Him. Never take God’s no as a reason to never consult or ask from Him again. Even if the Lord does not answer us, we must continue to have faith and trust Him that His plans are perfect over our own.
Just because the Lord can do anything, does not mean we can make a faulty request and expect God to hear us. God looks at the heart to see if the intentions are good or evil. James 4:3 states “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” To understand this verse and its contents, let us look at the previous two verses. James 4: 1-2 says “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
What do these verses mean? These verses are referring to the desires of the flesh rather than godly desires. If our heart is not after the Lord and we do not have a desire to serve Him, we cannot expect God to answer; epecially if it is to fulfill the flesh rather than the Lord. For example, if we want to have more money but our intentions are not good, God will not answer since it is a desire for the flesh rather than using it for the Lord. What does it mean to ask amiss? Amiss means something is not right or out of place; inappropriate or wrong. When there is no good intentions behind our requests, He will not answer. If we have a request, we must come believing but also with a heart that is sincere and surrendering.
It was mentioned earlier that God will often mature us before receiving the answer. Why does He do that? Let us look at an example of a parent and a child. In this situation, the child wants to be independent and cook. They may not understand all aspects such as heat, safety, electricity, fire, and the proper use of appliances. Nevertheless, they still want to cook. However, the parent knows that the child needs to understand all safety procedures and how to use certain appliances. Since they know the child is not ready, they will say no or you are not ready. However, as the child learns what to do and what not to do, they will learn and grow and will get to the stage where they can cook by themselves. At the moment, they did not understand why the parents said no but will understand later as they grow and mature.
Think about our lives in this way. We may want something now but God says no, you are not ready. If God were to grant you everything you desired right away, would He still be God? No, He would be a servant or a magician that grants us whatever and whenever we desire it. God knows our heart and knows when it is time to answer us. While we are praying and seeking the Lord, we should also be doing our part and waiting for His answer. In our waiting, we should be actively pursuing the Lord over everything. If we do, we will be ready and equipped for God’s blessing when He grants it to us. If we are not mature in the Lord, we can even misabuse His blessing or not steward it correctly. Waiting is not easy but if you are waiting on God, He will not disappoint you when He says, “it is time”. Psalm 27:4 says “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, Wait, I say, on the Lord”!
With everything that has been discussed, what is the proper attitude when it comes to making a request? Hebrews 11:6 says “…he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. We must come to God believing He will answer but also with a heart that wants to honor the Lord. Once we do, He will answer! However, the answer may not come right away but will be answered in His perfect timing or He may even say no. If we get a no from the Lord, we must not give up but still keeping going knowing that the Lord has something better. God can answer any of our requests but we also need to examine our heart to see why we are asking this request. We must also come to God with a heart of thanksgiving because God never changes and can still do miracles in your life! When our life is right with the Lord and we honor Him, He will hear and answer when we call to Him. As we go through life every day, let us learn to continually honor and serve the Lord so that we may see more of His work and we are living life according to God’s plan, not our own.
Thought for the week: What is your approach when coming to the Lord with a request? How can you honor the Lord more in your life?