How do you know that you will receive from God when you ask? Let’s look first at the ones the Lord listens to. He responds to those who live and respond to others with a pure heart. God approves of those who follow and obey His commandments. He is pleased with those who are selfless, giving, and sacrificial of what they have to benefit others. God also looks with favor on the one who walks in love, peace, and humility. Finally, He seeks to know and prosper His servants who walk in the Spirit of the Lord and produce His fruits.
You see, you can’t just pray to Him for something you desire; live however you want to and expect Him to give you your request. You must first show the Father that you are a loyal, trustworthy, and faithful servant to the Lord Jesus. Showing the Lord that you are asking out of genuine need and not selfishness but from your sincere desire to move forward in His will to follow, obey, and honor His call on your life to love one another and seek to build His Kingdom. Then God says, “You will receive what you ask for when you ask according to my will.”
And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15
The Lord knows what is in your heart and what is best. He is far greater and wiser than you could imagine. His ways and purposes extend to the far reaches of time and understanding. He knows what He is doing, knowing when you are ready to move forward with His blessings and when the answer must be: wait or no. He knows your needs and your heart’s longing for good or evil.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Consider this: God sends the storms of life to strengthen you and cause you to turn to Him, driving your roots deeper in Him. He knows where and what you need best to attain His great purpose for your life. He allows them before He blesses your request to increase your strength, preparing you for the more powerful winds or storms to come.
The storms are designed to press and force you to grow in strength, wisdom, and understanding. To give you a better footing, standing grounded in Jesus Christ. This way, you will be ready to receive His blessing and the affirmative answer to your request. You will then be ready to handle what God has planned and what He will give you to build His Kingdom.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. Isaiah 41:10-11
God has a great purpose for you and the work He has prepared for you to do. Even when there are times that you can’t hear Him, He is leading; He is guiding your spirit to go the right way. All the hardships you endured and all the waiting will ultimately prepare you for success. God’s tests and trials are designed to purify the heart and strengthen the soul to walk boldly in His Spirit, fighting for the faith and proclaiming the Gospel to a lost world.
So you see, without the storm, beatings, discipline, and training, you would not have become strong, just like the weight trainer must beat their body into shape, which takes suffering and pain. God had to discipline you in righteousness to make you strong in the Spirit and bold for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Psalm 144:1-2
He cares for your every need. He already knows what they are and how to provide for them. But He also wants you to ask. Raise your hands to Him in prayer. So you can receive whatever He has for you, according to His good pleasure and will.
So keep your heart pure and honest. Raise your requests and petitions to the Lord. Not only will He train you, but as you obey, He will listen. He is always working and looking to help His beloved children. He will give generously to His precious ones when they ask with a pure heart and desire to follow, obey, and do His will no matter what may come.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this, we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our hearts before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask, we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in Him. And by this, we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 3:18-24
The Soul Sower 