Ask According to His Will
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
This is the type of passage the Prosperity Gospel advocates point to in pedaling their heretical teaching. Their teaching converts God into a divine genie, to serve our every whim. But since Jesus clearly said this, what makes their interpretation false?
In each of the four Gospels, Jesus is quoted as issuing this or a strikingly similar proclamation. Matthew and Luke both record Him saying, “‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’” (Matthew 7:7 NKJV, see also Luke 11:9). Then John tells of three times Jesus spoke of asking and receiving (John 14:13-14; 15:7; 16:23-24). What is key is the surrounding context and the understanding of the early church fathers on this point.
In Mark 11:12–14, just prior His, “ask, believe, have,” statement, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree. Shortly thereafter, after the disciples noted that the tree had dried up from the roots, Jesus gave them this stirring promise of God’s power on their behalf. This was immediately precedent to the promise, in verses 20-23.
In Matthew, after giving His three-fold promise, Jesus restates it inverted fashion. He then continued, “. . . (W)hat man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:9-12 NKJV) Luke 11 also records this clarification that God gives only good gifts. Not everything we might ask from God would be good for us.
John 14 makes clear that the purpose of such miraculous answers to prayer are that the Father may be glorified. “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.’” (John 14:12-14 NKJV)
We are enjoined to pray when in need. James, the acknowledged leader of the Jerusalem church in the early days, wrote about this. In chapter 5, versus 13-18, he addresses the importance of praying for the sick, for example. The keystone verse might be, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16 NKJV) God’s miraculous power is available and we clearly are to approach the throne on behalf of our needs.
What we aren’t to do is ask selfishly. Clearly some in James’s target audience had this very contemporary problem, because he said in chapter 4, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NKJV) So how do we know how to pray?
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 NKJV) As we walk in the Spirit we will learn what He wants for us. Our prayers will fall in line with God’s will and glorify Him. When all that falls into line, it’s easy to see that, “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
We must grow closer to Him. Learn His heart and His plans for us. As we do, we will walk in victory and wholeness in Him, regardless what others may think.
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