ASK

ASK     “WORTH CONSIDERING”   4/2/19   (Across my desk this morning.)

Today’s Scripture
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”(Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Just Ask
Is there an area of your life that you need God’s help in? A lot of times, it’s easy to think that we’re not supposed to ask for too much, but the Scripture encourages us to go to God with all our needs. He longs to give you the desires of your heart and pour out His favor and blessing on you. In fact, the apostle James said, “You have not because you do not ask” (James 4:2). When you step out and ask for God’s favor, His blessings and His increase, you are activating your faith. And when you pray, ask Him to search your heart and mind. See if there is any unforgiveness that is blocking your prayers and affecting your relationship with Him. The other person may have been wrong, they may have hurt you deeply, but there is nothing on this earth that is worth losing your peace with Almighty God. Today, when you pray, choose forgiveness and don’t let anything stand in the way of the good things God has in store for your future!

A Prayer for Today
“Father, I humbly come to You and surrender all that I am. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me. Show me Your goodness and love and position me to be a greater blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

My Comments:
This is a great message today to reconsider.   As kids we all knew that being bad dried up the spring and being good helped it to flow.  So one of the primary factors in receiving from our Heavenly Father is us being on “Holy Ground”  Even in coming into being a member of the family we had to repent from what we knew to be wrong.  And then later on we found a bunch more that we did not know that was wrong.  That is when the Romans 7 & 8 battle started in our sanctification to become like Jesus.  James 4:2 is quoted above and should continue with verse 3 in context.  And it fact the whole chapter of James 4 is on target so here it is:  James 4 from the Amplified Bible,  Classic Edition: (Some time considering this will help you much in getting your prayers answered.  James grew up with Jesus and was a later son of Mary and Joseph.  At one time he was the presiding elder of the Church at Jerusalem.  Jude was also his brother and son of Mary and Joseph.)

“What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?  ² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask.  ³ [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.  ⁴ You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.  ⁵ Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?  ⁶ But He gives us more and more grace (^[a]power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).  ⁷ So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.  ⁸ Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].  ⁹ [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].  ¹⁰ Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].¹¹ [My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it].  ¹² One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?  ¹³ Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money.  ¹⁴ Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air].  ¹⁵ You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing].  ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast [falsely] in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong.  ¹⁷ So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.”  

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,  Ken<><   (Past files of “WORTH CONSIDERING” may be found:   www.Trinity-Aloha.org   look for the link:  Worth Considering. )