2 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.
I thought I was being smart. Our local association of churches sends out an email newsletter every Wednesday. Heritage just did some remodeling to update our children and nursery areas. In the process we are updating some things like baby crib, baby diaper changing table, toys, etc. So I thought I would communicate the need through the newsletter and see what God might do. I thought pretty resourceful.
This past week they posted the need on their newsletter but we did not get any response. So they were prepared to keep the request in there again and as long as we still had a need.
In prayer today I became deeply convicted. I'd asked other churches to help meet those needs but never led the church to take those requests to God privately or corporately in prayer asking for God's provision. We have not because we ask not. I am ashamed. I am supposed to be a man of faith and yet it never crossed my mind to ask God to meet those needs before asking others to do it. I know God is powerful enough. I know we have a need. Our crib is held together with zip ties.
It reminds me of another story. I served a church raising money for a playground years ago. A family donated seed money after their child died to get it started. They moved away and enthusiasm for the project waned. Years went by and the money still had not been raised. The church was embarrassed when that family came back to town years later and still no playground.
I came to that church not long after that embarrassing incident. One day God convicted me that in the months I had been in that church not one time had I heard anyone pray about God supplying the money for the rest of that project. So on a Sunday morning I challenged the church to pray with me about that project. We paused there in the service and lifted the request before God.
I received a phone call from the chairperson of that committee later that afternoon. She was giddy. She called to inform me that God heard and answered those prayers. Someone brought the remaining money needed for that playground to her housethe same day we prayed for it. You have not because you ask not.
We are guilty of not praying until we are really in a bind. Let's be honest. Playgrounds and baby cribs are not the biggest things on God's agenda. They are stepping stones of faith to strengthen us to believe for even greater things. Things like paying off the remaining $84,000 debt we owe on our building. This is something we at Heritage have all prayed about and sacrificed to accomplish. In the past several months we have seen a great reduction. But I have not asked for a great reduction. I have asked for paying off the debt! All of it down to the last penny. This is not the time to be satisfied with progress. We have not because we ask not and do not keep on asking. Luke 18:1 informs we should always pray and not lose heart.
In my office at Heritage I have two bookshelves. My office is not large but it is more than adequate. Still I do not even have half of my library there. Just the other day I noticed a place I could put two short bookshelves under a window to get more of my book out of boxes. I also have a folding table for a desk. I had a large bulky desk in there but moved it to the secretary's office to make a little more room. I have wanted another desk but did not have the money to buy one. You have not because you ask not.
So if I am going to ask God for a baby crib and changing table it is nothing more to ask Him for an executive desk with drawers and two short bookcases. I am not going to fall guilty of having not because I asked not. I am going to ask.
I realize some of you reading this have asked and asked and asked some more and still not received. I feel your pain. I have been praying for God to provide my wife with a car for several years now but He has not done so yet.
The challenge in Matt 7:7-8 is to keep on asking, to keep on seeking and to keep on knocking. How often do we give up when we really need to persevere? In those instances we lose heart and quit we have not because we ask not.
God is mysterious and the ways He works through prayer are mysterious. In one instance God hears and answers immediately. In another instance He delays sending the answer for years. He chooses to heal quickly sometimes and chooses not to heal at other times. He provides abundantly on some occasions and withholds provision on others. I do not have it figured out.
I recall a sermon I heard Louie Giglio preach several years ago on prayer. He made this statement I have not forgotten, "If we make one mistake in prayer let it be this. Let is be that we ask God for too much. That we believe Him for too much." Don't we often do just the opposite. We ask and believe for too little.
So here are just a few of the things I am asking God for today. I am asking God for a matching white baby crib and white changing table for our nursery. I am asking for an executive desk with drawers and two small bookcases. I am asking for all of the $84,000 debt to be paid off at Heritage. I am asking God to supply Brenda with another vehicle. Let it not be said I have not because I asked not. I hope you will do the same.
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