| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( D ) ASK ACCORDING TO FAITH As the scriptures shared in section C have clearly revealed, all that Gods’ children need to do in order to receive anything from their heavenly Father is to ask in prayer mixed with faith. Notice that in those referrenced scriptures, no prerequisite for giving to other people, ministries included, is ever commanded or instructed by the Lord. Just ask God your Father for whatever it is which you have need and want of. Just ask God your Father for whatever it is you need to have supplied. Asking, not giving ( whether it be money or any other thing which can be given ) to other people or ministries, is the prerequisite action which God instructs His children to satisfy in order to receive from Him. There is however a bit more to this instruction of receiving from God. Asking is necessary, but our asking must be done in faith towards God and in accordance to His will; 22. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. - Matt. 21:22 Jesus makes a specific requirement of belief when the prayer is offered to God. If we don’t believe that God will hear and respond to what we have requested of Him, if there is no faith in what we have petitioned of God, then the prayer is simply vain and ineffective. The prayer is nothing more but a waste of time and is displeasing to God. God is pleased with faith, without faith it is an impossibility to even please God; 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. - Heb. 11:6 Notice what the writer concludes. Whenever someone comes to God, such as in prayer, that person must believe that God exists and also rewards, gives, to that person who has sought after God. Bottomline? When we ask and seek God for anything in prayer which we need, then faith is simply an absolute must. Without faith, don’t even bother asking God for anything. It is a waste of time and effort and displeasing to God. Since faith is a requirement in our asking God what we need, then how do we acquire faith? From Gods’ Word, the holy scriptures themselves; 17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. - Romans 10:17 We obtain and increase in faith, ( that thing which is necessary when we ask God for whatever we need ), through Gods’ Word. Once we give ourselves and pay heed to Gods’ Word then faith comes and increases. Therefore, with faith ( which comes due to Gods’ Word ) we can then come to God, fully believeing that whatever we ask and request of Him in prayer, we will receive. The scripture in 1 John reveals this by stating; 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. - 1 John 5:14-15 And again in James, the scriptures write; 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. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. - James 1:5-8 So then it is the action of asking God what we have need of and not the act of giving which is the pre-condition which must first be satisfied before we receive from God what we need. Yet our asking must also be mixed with faith, otherwise asking with uncertainty and unbelief makes void and meaningless the request which results in not receiving from God. But there is another aspect of asking to receive that is important for the Christian to consider which is, asking according to Gods’ will. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |