Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7).
The Scriptures are very clear about making requests in prayer. Jesus said “For every one that asketh receiveth (Matthew 7:8). However, the challenge with some folks is that when they pray, instead of doing exactly what the Master said asking and receiving, they complain to God about their situation. Jesus didn’t say “When you pray, complain to God about the matter and He will hear you.” Rather, He said ask and it shall be given you.
There’s a very big difference between making a complaint and making a request, and I want to show you the difference from a story in the Bible. One day, Jesus went to a pool called Bethesda where a multitude of sick people congregated, waiting for an angel of God to stir the waters. Whoever got in first after the water was stirred was made whole. The Master met a man there who had been sick for thirty-eight years and engaged him in this dialogue: Jesus: “Do you want to get well?” The sick man: “Sir, I don’t have anyone here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first” (John 5:1-9).
Did you notice that when the Master asked the first question, the man, rather than say “Yes, I want to get well,” he began to complain bitterly to the Master about how much he had suffered! He wanted sympathy, but thank God the Master had compassion on him and healed him all the same. The man could have remained there, never knowing that God had visited him that day. I want you to learn something from that story: if you desire something from the Lord, go ahead and ask; and having asked, receive. Don’t complain to Him or even to others about how bad things are. God has invited you to make your requests known to Him. As long as you ask in faith and in the Name of Jesus, your request will be granted, and your joy will be full.
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