What are you asking God for today? What are you believing for? I think of how wonderful it is when God and even Jesus encourage us to ask for things in prayer. I want to list all the scriptures first about asking God in prayer.
- Matthew 18:19“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
- Matthew 21:22-And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
- Mark 11:24– Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
- Mat 7:7-8-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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
- Jn 14:13-14-And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
- John 15:14-16 (NKJV)–14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
- John 15:7-If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
- Jn 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.
- Jam 1:6-7-But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
- James 4:3-You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
- 1 John 3:22-And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
- 1 John 5:14-15– Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Some would say these promises of asking are too good to be true. Yet it is the Word of God. What a privilege we have in our fellowship with God to have the ability to ask of God. Apostle Paul tells us concerning God’s promises: 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)-20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. God gets the glory of answered prayer. He wants our joy to be full in answered prayer. It just seems too good to be true. A prayer life is fellowship with God, our Father. The joy of communion and talking, and asking God for things in prayer. Even Jesus calls us friends and encourages us to ask him of things. God knows are needs before we even ask. Because of our position in Christ, as Children of God, we aren’t approaching God begging, pleading, or imploring God to do something.
Are there any conditions in asking God for things in prayer? We are to ask believing before we receive. We are to ask, not doubting. We are to ask in faith! Jesus tells us that His word needs to abide in us, and we are to abide in Him. We are to pray according to His will. His Word is His will. His promises are His will. We are not to pray and ask amiss. We are to ask without selfish or wrong motives. We are to walk in love, which is the New Covenant command ( Matt 22:36-39, 1 John 4:21), and to do those things that please Him. We are to keep unforgiveness, offenses, and bitterness out of our hearts. We are to ask in His Name.
Now that we are on the other side of the cross and heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ, we are asking for things that have already been provided for us in the New Covenant.2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)-2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God wants us to ask! He wants us to answer our prayers, and we need to believe before we receive them. What if it doesn’t work? With that question, we are already in unbelief and doubt. James tells us we won’t receive what we are asking for. Faith is the knowledge of God. Believing is acting on that knowledge. Faith is what we do between asking and receiving. Faith gives substance to what we believe for. ( Hebrews 11:1). Faith is not a crowbar to get God to do something. Love, joy, peace, provision, and healing are already provided for you in the New Covenant. If it is already provided for it is ours for the asking. 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NKJV)-12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. Also in Romans 8:32 (NKJV)-32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
This is powerful, and we need to get this into our hearts. We don’t have to fear, hesitate, or doubt in asking things from God that He has already provided for us through Jesus! We don’t have to feel unworthy or lack confidence in prayer. Jesus has made us worthy and qualified us by the shedding of His blood. Even when we sin, or have a sin consciousness, it doesn’t change God’s mind about us. He loves us unconditionally. It is not based on our performance but on what Jesus did for us at the cross. No wonder we can come boldly to the throne of grace. ( Hebrews 4:16). We don’t have to say,”Why would God answer my prayer, look what I’ve done?” He knows what you’ve done. Do you know what He has done? There is grace and there is mercy for all of us. We don’t have to earn answers to our prayers, we just have to believe we receive. (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8). We know what we are believing by what comes out of our mouths. ( Luke 6:45, 2 Cor. 4:13)Are we complaining, whining, griping, doubting, or wavering? Are we filled with thanksgiving and praise for what God is doing and has done through Jesus? Are we agreeing with God’s Word or disagreeing?
Here is the hard reality. If you haven’t received, have you believed when you prayed? Have you held fast the good confession of faith? Again, believing faith fills the gap from when you ask to when you receive from God. It is like planting that seed in the ground, knowing it will bring a harvest. Sometimes immediately, and sometimes it takes a while. We need to let the seed do its work. We need to let faith do its work. ( Mark 4:26-29). Faith is not saying I believe it when I see it. Faith says I have received it even if I don’t see it yet. Faith brings it from the unseen realm into the natural realm.( Hebrews 11:3, 2 Cor. 4:18, Eph. 1:3, 2 Cor 5:7). The foundation for asking and receiving is based on the love and goodness of God. If we struggle with this, it blows our confidence right out of the water. Faith works by love. (Gal 5:6). God hears our prayers, Apostle John says, and therefore we have confidence in our asking if it is according to His will. His Word, His promises are His will.
In closing, I like what Bible teacher Andrew Wommack says about asking: “We are not just heirs; we are joint-heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8:17.)The way you endorse your heavenly check for everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) is to believe what God promised in His Word and act on it as if it were true. It is! Jesus has already signed His name to every promise in the Word, and you are His joint-heir. You aren’t waiting for Him; He is waiting for you. The exceeding greatness of His power works according to the faith we exercise in Him and His Word. The power of asking is based on our right standing with God. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21). Asking God is showing our dependence on Him. Luke 12:31-32 (NKJV)
31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.( Rom 14:17). Luke 17:21 (NKJV)-21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Take time to meditate on the above scriptures and get them into your heart, and unbelief will not be able to stay.
In Christ’s love;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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