Topic: The Power of Asking Part 2 “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” Jas 4:1:3.Last week we discussed the power of asking, encouraging you to ask God what you desire, need or want. Whereas God gives us a blank check to ask whatever we want, it is important to know that there are some conditions. For every promise of God there is a condition to be met to possess it. God has a constitution called the bible that guides his actions. God is the God of love, fairness, kindness and mercy but, he is also the God of justice. God is not prodigal with his resources.The need of humanity could be broadly divided into two: the basic human needs and the specific human needs. God is obliged by his sovereignty to provide for human beings, whether they know him or not, air, water, animals, plants, Sun, Moon, stars. But when it comes to distinction, he has exclusive reserve for his children. Look at these scriptures:“But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.”Ex 11:7Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Matt 15:26 “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.Rev 22:15. The summary of these scriptures is that God gives preferential treatment to those who are born again and are his spiritual children. He calls those who are not “dogs” The choice to be a dog or a child is totally yours!What the Holy Spirit is teaching us today is to ask as a child with the right motive. Someone said asking ”The right thing with the wrong motive is the wrong thing” You need to understand that among the spiritual children,God has principles in answering prayers. That you ask him as a child of God does not guarantee automatic positive response or answer from heaven.God weighs our request not in terms of quantity but the quality of our hearts, our motives. God weighs our request whether it is in alignment with His will and purposes or just out of our selfish motives. God is saying if what you are asking has no constitutional basis in his will and you have wrong motives, you will need to make amends. God is willing and able to answer you, but he wants you to know that you cannot be doing the wrong thing and ask him to rubber stamp your request just because you are born again, or you go to church, or give offerings and tithe. Just like our earthly parents will not give us everything just because we ask. However, unlike earthly parents who may not know your heart and motives, God is omniscient, He knows your heart. God is asking why do you want to marry, is it to fulfill my purpose?Why do you want to marry that person in particular, is it due to internal beauty or external, or to have a ministry to glorify my name? Why do you want Permanent Residency in Canada or any nation, is it to fulfill his purposes, evangelize the people, win souls or just for your economic reason?Why do you want that child, is it to dedicate the child to him like Hannah did or just to join the phylum of parents? Why do you want a mega church, for fame, prosperity and popularity, or to sincerely depopulate hell and populate heaven?Why are you in that church to build or to scatter?Why do you want prosperity to just accumulate cars and houses or to sponsor God’s projects on earth?Why are you asking God for that desire?. Ezekiel said”Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” Ezek 1:1.God wants you to ask, not just for your pleasure but his pleasure. For it to be for his pleasure you must, like Ezekiel, embrace his vision.How do I know what gives him pleasure? You must consult with God about your desires and wants. Learn to talk with Him, ask His opinion. Learn to walk in the Spirit, as many as are led by His spirit are His. The will of God is expressly stated in the scriptures.Ask Him if the desire is good or bad, ask if the need is a true need or simply the lust for pleasure or gratification. More importantly ask yourself is it in the bible? Even if it’s in the bible is it the correct interpretation of the bible?For example you don’t ask God for many wives, just because David or Solomon had many. You don’t drink alcohol because Paul said to Timothy- take a little wine for your stomach, or because Jesus turned water to wine. You don’t divorce because Moses said – “give a letter of divorce to a person” for whatever cause. No, check your motive. Even you don’t give offering just ‘to show off”or you have an unforgiving heart. Besides you cannot desire to go and rape, steal, commit adultery, and other things that are sinful and ask God to prosper it because you want to give part of the proceeds to God. What is your motive for asking?Conclusion: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Rev 4:11 We are created for God’s pleasure if we want God to answer our prayers speedily, let’s ask things from God that will give him pleasure. The secret is whatever will give God pleasure will ultimately give us peace and pleasure.We must learn to commune and fellowship with God—to walk in Him, live and move in Him, seeking and asking Him our desires with a pure motives. This is the litmus test if you have not got the answers to your request, check your motive before you blame God or get “mad with God” God is generous with his answers but with some proviso. May your motive for any request from God be for His pleasure and by extrapolation yours. May the Lord answer your prayers today . Shalom.

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