You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:2b-3 ESV)
Everyone has needs and desires, right? Have you asked God to supply your needs, and to give you the desires of your heart?
Bruce and I had the opportunity to see the movie, “The War Room,” this week. For those of you that haven’t seen it yet but are intending to, you need not worry…I am not going to spoil it for you by giving too much detail about it. The Trailer for the movie reveals that it is about the power of prayer.
For me, this is one of those times in life that everyone experiences on occasion. It seems like I am surrounded by needs, particularly in the lives of my loved ones. I have felt helpless and in some ways, I have felt defeated by life’s troubles, and my inability to “fix” everything to make it all better.
I’d like to take the opportunity to share a little with you about how “The War Room” has motivated me. Every person may have a different experience, but I was inspired to pray more, and more fervently.
Instead of feeling helpless and defeated, now I feel empowered and encouraged to bring the needs of my loved ones before the throne of grace. Truthfully, I’ve been reminded that it is okay to bring my own needs to my heavenly Father as well…in fact, that is exactly what He wants me to do. God is able, even when I am unable.
I’ve been reminded of the peace, hope and joy that comes when I cast my cares on Him, instead of trying to carry the weight of the burdens myself.
Regardless of the specifics of our situation or need, Philippians 4:19 (ESV) assures us that, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” He is the only One who is able to supply all of our needs; material and spiritual.
When we doubt that God will give us the things that we desire, not just what we “need,” we can look to Psalm 37:4-5 (ESV), which says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” God doesn’t lie, so we can trust His promise. In this passage, God shows us what He asks of us in order for Him to give us the desires of our heart…that we be committed to doing things His way, according to His will.
How can we be confident that we are praying the way that God wants us to?
Romans 12:2 (ESV) says this, “ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This verse tells us that we need to have our minds transformed and renewed, so that we will be able to discern God’s will. As we spend more time with God in prayer and in reading His Word, we get to know Him and His ways, and then we will be better able to know God’s will for our lives.
Then, 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV) says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
“The War Room” inspired and encouraged me in many ways. To sum it up, the message that I received from it was that there truly is immeasurable power in prayer. I have a renewed passion for spending time with my heavenly Father in the secret place, where life’s battles can be fought and won in Jesus’ name.
My prayer is, “Heavenly Father, thank You for welcoming me into relationship with you, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please nurture my faith in You as I spend time with You in prayer, in reading Your Word and in meditating on Your promises. Please teach me how to pray so that I may experience a renewed closeness with You, and give me strength, wisdom, guidance and peace that comes from private time spent with You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
