A Look at Asking

A Look at Asking

by Patricia Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Matthew 7:7,8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

This Scripture passage is misused by many. There are those ministers who beg, telling people they'll receive a blessing if they give such and such an amount. In their begging they use this Scripture, letting people know what they need, so they can give to supply that need, instead of letting God know so He can supply.

Ask God

This is wresting the Scriptures to their own advantage (see II Peter 3:16). God wants us to ask Him in secret, in our secret prayer closet. We're not to tell others of our needs, nor are we to use the Scriptures to back up our covetousness. Those who let others know what they need, expecting them to supply, are following after covetous practices. All they talk about is money and prosperity. Every time you hear them, they're mentioning their needs.

Now, to ask is to make a request.

Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We are told here to make our requests known unto God. It doesn't say to tell others, letting our requests be made known unto them. It doesn't say to drop little hints. It simply says to tell your heavenly Father.

When you hear someone asking or begging for finances or some other material need, using the Word to back up what they're doing, don't fall for it. It is contrary to the truth.

Get this straight: When you have a material need, don't let others know about it. Go to God in your secret prayer closet. He knows what you have need of before you ask, but He wants you to acknowledge Him by asking Him — and Him, alone.

John 14:13,14
And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.

Why, then, don't we receive everything we ask for?

Ask for the Right Motive

James 4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Many seek for God to use them but they have a wrong motive: self wants to be glorified. They want to be seen of men. They look to receive glory from others.

Now, the gifts of God don't make one spiritual. The life we live from day to day is what determines how spiritual we really are. If we want to be spiritual, we must spend time seeking God. We must get into His Word and line up to what it says to us.

We'll receive from God when we ask with the right motives: The desire of our heart should be to help others and to bring glory to God.

God wants His children to be humble. God looks for those who will humble themselves. By the time they are through, He will be able to entrust them with much.

People have a tendency of glorifying those whom God uses in miracles. Therefore, He needs someone humble enough to stay small in their own eyes, that He might be glorified. If someone who was looking for self-glory received the gift of miracles, they'd walk around boasting about what they did!

Ask for Spiritual Things

What should we ask God for?

Jeremiah 6:16a
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Too often, though, God's people tend to be self-centered in their asking. They're sure to ask for themselves. They want to be certain they're comfortable and well cared for. But they forget to ask for the most important things: the spiritual things, the old paths.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If we'd put the Lord first, our material needs would take care of themselves. We wouldn't have to worry about such things.

We are plainly told to ask for the old paths. There was revival in those old paths: souls were saved and set free, people were healed, the believers were seeking the face of God and keeping His Word. Those were the paths where the old revivals spread. They didn't just stay in a few churches; they spread far and wide.

But so many find fault with the old paths. They don't agree with the old holiness standards. They don't want to walk in those old ways — that path where God intends His children to walk. They don't want to clean up. They don't want to hear any messages that deal with them.

Walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. What a beautiful promise! You don't have to be tossed around and tormented; you can have deep peace in your soul.

Now, there are a lot of elevator Christians who go up and down, up and down. They need to seek out the old pathways — that straight and narrow way — and walk therein.

Jeremiah 6:16b
But they said, We will not walk therein.

That hard, stubborn, rebellious spirit speaks like this. When God gives a message that says to clean up, this spirit rebels: "If they think I'm going to go that far, they're crazy!"

Realize that when you rebel against a message from God's Word, you are actually rebelling against God, Himself!

Psalm 2:8
Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

If you truly want revival in your soul, you'll put others first. Your thoughts and prayers will center on what your part can be in reaching the lost and perishing. And when you ask the Lord to give you souls to lay at His feet, He'll do just that.

Learn to seek God for spiritual things, and you'll soon find a revival burning in your soul. You won't long after the things of this life, for your soul will be content.

When you get truly revived, you'll have yourself a house cleaning: taking down the idols and destroying them. An idol is anything or anyone you set before the Lord. You might possess something very costly and love that thing more than you love the Lord, making an idol out of that material possession.

Or you might be guilty of setting some person up as an idol in your heart, showing them your love and devotion more than you show to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 7:25,26
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Others will know you're a Christian by the life you live, not because you advertise by hanging a picture on the wall. Let your light shine before others and tell them about Jesus — that's how they'll know.

Rather than being concerned about how Jesus looks, be concerned as to whether or not He is dwelling within.

Ask for Wisdom

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We can all use more wisdom. Notice here that we're to ask God for wisdom — not read books or gain degrees to have wisdom.

I Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

In this account we find a good example of what our motives should be in our asking.

We're not to be overly concerned about material things. We already have so much we don't really need. But we don't really need all of those things: after all, they only perish in their using.

I Kings 3:7
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

I don't know how! This is a good position to be in. When we don't know how, then we have to depend upon the Lord to show us how.

Those who don't depend on God, who are confident in themselves, explain away the promises of God. That's why so many don't believe in the power of God. They're so self-sufficient they see no need for Him.

I Corinthians 1:18,19
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

It's when we feel we're nothing, that's when God can do something with us.

I Kings 3:9
Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?

Solomon recognized he couldn't do it in his own strength. God had to give him the wisdom and understanding he needed, or he'd never be able to judge the people.

I Kings 3:10
And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

God is happy when we acknowledge our dependency on Him. He is happy when we ask Him for wisdom. He is happy when we ask for the old paths.

And He is pleased when we ask Him for souls and for the anointing to help others, but He is displeased when we ask with self-centered motives.

I Kings 3:11
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment

Everyone of us needs to be asking God for a wise and an understanding heart. Unless God gives an understanding heart, we can't really relate to the problems of others.

God will give you the compassion you need to help the unlovely. He will give you understanding to help those whom you can't understand in the natural. You need a wise and an understanding heart to love the lost, to snatch them out of the fire; and if you ask, God will give you that wise and understanding heart.

I Kings 3:12,13
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

If you put God first, everything else will fall into place. God might not give material riches and wealth, but He will supply every need.

Yes, God will bless His people when they learn to ask in the right manner.

Some pray for God to bless them and theirs, never desiring to help others. They're not concerned about lost souls. No wonder they don't have revival in their soul! No wonder they lack the power of God!

God won't honor selfish motives. They may desire to receive from the hand of God, but they won't receive anything by asking amiss.

Ask Diligently

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Notice that word diligently: You won't receive from God by occasionally seeking Him every few weeks. You must be consistent. Seek the Lord every day to tear down the idols and to break your hardened heart.

Open your eyes and behold the glorious things in His Word.

Open your ears to receive the instructions which God would give unto you.

And open your heart to say "yes" to His will.

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.

When you diligently seek the Lord, your life will no longer be up and down: It will be a life of victory. It will be a life of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. When you seek the Lord each day, your mind won't run like a race track.

Proverbs 8:17
I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.

Many put off the day of salvation. They plan on seeking the Lord "some day," but that day never seems to come. And if they keep on delaying, they will find the day has come — but it came too late for them!

Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

Your whole heart has to be in your seeking. When you mislay something, don't you spend hours searching for it, if need be? Say you paid a bill and lost the receipt; then you receive a notice informing you the bill is unpaid. My, you'll go through everything in search of that receipt!

And this is the way it should be with spiritual things. You should be just as serious about seeking the Lord.

You'd let everything stop to search for that receipt. That would have top priority. Are you that determined to seek the Lord?

Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.