October 15th, 2024
This week, I’ve been thinking about the difference between asking and receiving. The Word of God makes clear we must ask the Father and then we must receive, but those are not the same things. We must ask in faith and then receive by faith with open hearts and open hands.
There are many scriptures that teach us to ask. Here are a few:
Mark 11:24 says,
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
James 4:2-3 says,
“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Matthew 7:7-11 says,
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
We cannot overemphasize the power of asking in alignment with God’s heart, but this week, God has laid on my heart the importance of receiving. There is a point that we need to stop asking and start receiving by faith. Jesus taught a pattern we often call the Lord’s Prayer. However, right before that prayer, He said in Matthew 6:7-8,
“When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
The Father knows what we need before we ask! Later in the chapter, Jesus gave a powerful and well-known teaching on the extent of God’s provision. He said in Matthew 6:31-33,
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
We could spend our lives asking for things that God desires to simply provide as we seek His kingdom. God knows you need provision. God desires to heal you. Jesus came to give abundant life. However, we can get trapped in a cycle of asking God for things that He has already provided and then never receive by faith. He said if we would seek first His kingdom, He would ensure everything we need would be added. He’s a good Father and we don’t have to ask Him to take care of us. We can thank God for His promise of provision and receive it by faith!
The Holy Spirit Himself is a powerful example of this truth. After the Holy Spirit was given to the church, which you can read about in Acts 2, He was not given by the Father again. He was received.
Acts 19:1-4 demonstrates this truth. It says,
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So, Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The reason they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit was not because God had not given Him or God didn’t desire them to have Him. They were unaware of what had already been poured out and they had not received Him. Once they knew He was available, they all received the Holy Spirit by impartation. He’s a gift to the church!
We also see this truth in the parable of the two sons in Luke 15:25-31 which says,
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”
The Father’s response to this bitter older son is so powerful. He said to his father, “you never gave me…” and his Father responded, “it was already yours.” He doesn’t tell him that he should have asked for the fatted calf or for a party. He said, “Son, it was yours all along.”
I believe we often live in the Father’s house like this older son, unaware of what He has already given. We could spend our lives toiling in the field not understanding our access to His house. There are some things that we must learn to ask for, but even more so, there are things we must learn to receive. Provision. Healing. Deliverance. We can walk in all that Jesus suffered and died to give. I don’t want to get to Heaven and hear as that son did, “It was already yours and you didn’t take it.”
This week, I encourage you to seek the heart of the Father and ask Him to show you anything He has provided that you haven’t received. Especially in these last days, we must walk in all that He has for us. As we seek His kingdom, we will have more than enough. The Father’s house is full of provision. He’s a healer. He’s a deliverer. He’s the Savior. He lives in you, and He has so much more!
There are many scriptures that teach us to ask. Here are a few:
Mark 11:24 says,
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
James 4:2-3 says,
“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Matthew 7:7-11 says,
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
We cannot overemphasize the power of asking in alignment with God’s heart, but this week, God has laid on my heart the importance of receiving. There is a point that we need to stop asking and start receiving by faith. Jesus taught a pattern we often call the Lord’s Prayer. However, right before that prayer, He said in Matthew 6:7-8,
“When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
The Father knows what we need before we ask! Later in the chapter, Jesus gave a powerful and well-known teaching on the extent of God’s provision. He said in Matthew 6:31-33,
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
We could spend our lives asking for things that God desires to simply provide as we seek His kingdom. God knows you need provision. God desires to heal you. Jesus came to give abundant life. However, we can get trapped in a cycle of asking God for things that He has already provided and then never receive by faith. He said if we would seek first His kingdom, He would ensure everything we need would be added. He’s a good Father and we don’t have to ask Him to take care of us. We can thank God for His promise of provision and receive it by faith!
The Holy Spirit Himself is a powerful example of this truth. After the Holy Spirit was given to the church, which you can read about in Acts 2, He was not given by the Father again. He was received.
Acts 19:1-4 demonstrates this truth. It says,
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So, Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The reason they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit was not because God had not given Him or God didn’t desire them to have Him. They were unaware of what had already been poured out and they had not received Him. Once they knew He was available, they all received the Holy Spirit by impartation. He’s a gift to the church!
We also see this truth in the parable of the two sons in Luke 15:25-31 which says,
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”
The Father’s response to this bitter older son is so powerful. He said to his father, “you never gave me…” and his Father responded, “it was already yours.” He doesn’t tell him that he should have asked for the fatted calf or for a party. He said, “Son, it was yours all along.”
I believe we often live in the Father’s house like this older son, unaware of what He has already given. We could spend our lives toiling in the field not understanding our access to His house. There are some things that we must learn to ask for, but even more so, there are things we must learn to receive. Provision. Healing. Deliverance. We can walk in all that Jesus suffered and died to give. I don’t want to get to Heaven and hear as that son did, “It was already yours and you didn’t take it.”
This week, I encourage you to seek the heart of the Father and ask Him to show you anything He has provided that you haven’t received. Especially in these last days, we must walk in all that He has for us. As we seek His kingdom, we will have more than enough. The Father’s house is full of provision. He’s a healer. He’s a deliverer. He’s the Savior. He lives in you, and He has so much more!
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