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Day 13- Courage To Ask

Bible Reading: John 16:16-33; Luke 11:9-11

I had a few of those ‘ask me for anything’ aunties and uncles while growing up. I guess you did too. I remember a particular day when this good-hearted uncle, who at the time was an undergraduate student, decided to demonstrate his overflowing loving kindness and the riches of his grace to my siblings and I. We were a wild bunch of four boys, all in primary school at the time, If I remember well.  

He randomly saw us around and then took us into this close by shop.

‘Guys, take anything you want’, he said, smiling.  

I think in his mind, he expected that we would each take an ‘Okin’ biscuit or some little sweet or something. Well, we began to point to things on the shelves and pick. I was the fourth to pick. I still remember that I pointed to this high flying, giant size meat pie (I honestly remember that there only ever used to be one of it on the shelf- I guess it was always bought by some specific rich person from somewhere. It wasn’t a thing mere mortals were ever seen buying). I remember that as I pointed to it, the shop owner rather than just handing the stuff to us, called my brothers and I closer and started out some pep-talk. She had probably seen my uncle’s helplessness and that he was no longer smiling.

‘Darlings, you know your uncle loves you and…’ Well, she eventually arm-twisted us- to my great displeasure and anger- into taking some little sweets or biscuits or something.  

It’s actually simple- everybody’s ‘anything’ works within their context. 

Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you John 16:23 NKJV

It’s funny how we approach people expecting them to be as strong as God, able to do anything; but we approach God with the lens of man’s weakness, expecting that he can’t actually do everything.

I still believe that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly even above all that we dare ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20) And I still believe that our faith pleases God, not that it pressures him or freaks him out (Hebrews 11:6)

God actually loves to see us ask with courage and audacity! 

Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for you to own. The ends of the earth will belong to You. Psalm 2:8 NLV

He doesn’t want us whining and moaning around, unsure and afraid, pitifully begging for our adjusted and trimmed down list, in consideration of the pressing economic realities. Far from it! 

 What then?  Are we called to be a selfish, self-seeking bunch who spend the whole day writing out a shopping list for the Lord for the fulfilment of our long held fantasies and dreams?

Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24 NKJV

I think what is most awesome about this is the context: in my name! Jesus is as much concerned about where we stand as what we ask for a simple reason: Where we stand affects what we ask. Nobody is in the heat of the Sahara desert and is asking for a hot cup of tea; nobody is in a micra and is asking the driver to turn on the AC; nobody stands on the top floor of the tallest building in the world and isn’t asking top level questions …

Where we stand provides a context for what we ask. Being in the name of Jesus is where Jesus tells us to ask anything!

What’s more beautiful: the name of Jesus is not just a context of what we ask, it is also a context within which God answers! The name of Jesus is a place of all provision and all victory!

That’s the place Jesus died for us to live in. That’s the place where we have a courage to stand before God as dearly loved children and ask! It’s a place of the christian’s audacity and courage. 

As we wait on God and set the tone for the year, I really pray that you’re not strolling around the corridors pitifully begging for ‘one or two’ things on some ‘considerate’ list; but I pray that you are daring Kingdom things! I pray that you are dreaming the will of God over your business and enterprise in a needy world. I pray that you are audaciously dreaming God’s ideal over your marriage and children and that you are asking!

It was Joel Osteen that I first heard say that ‘as christians, we need to learn to pray God-sized prayers!’

Something To Pray
Let’s practicalise what we’ve learnt. Would you think up two or three things that you know are actually God’s will for you, but you’ve been kind of apologetic about asking:  Victory over an addiction or situation, provision of a relationship, peace and fruitfulness in your marriage, a new opening, expression of a calling, etc.

Now read John 16:23-24 again:

Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24 NKJV

Now would you, with an ’in Jesus Name consciousness’ courageously ask God for those things and believe that you will receive them and your joy will be full!

PS: SuperSaturday prayer gathering is from 7 – 9 am WAT in the building and on YouTube. Look forward to praying with you!

2 Comments

  • Temiloluwa
    Posted January 22, 2022 at 6:45 am

    “The name of Jesus is a place of all provision and all victory!”
    I ask all things courageously with a “in Jesus Name consciousness”
    Thank you sir.

  • Faith Chinnonye Okere
    Posted January 22, 2022 at 10:21 am

    The name of Jesus is not just a context of what we ask, it is also a context within which God answers.
    Lord, I pray for the courage to ask in all situations with an “In Jesus’ Name consciousness”

    Amen!

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