THEME: FOCUSED ASKING
MEMORISE:
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. Luke 11:8
READ: Luke 11:5-10
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 12-13, Lamentation 4:2-18
MESSAGE:
One of the conditions to be met before one’s burden is lifted is the need to see that burden is an anomaly. You must acknowledge the existence of the burden, and be willing to be helped, before you can be set free from it. In john 5:2-9, Jesus asked the man who had been sick for 38 years, “Do you want to be made whole?” you may wonder why Jesus asked him such an obvious question. Why didn’t he just heal him straightaway? The truth is, not everyone wants to be helped. I have shared the story of a sick woman whom I prayed for many times without results. Then one day, the Lord told me, “Ask her if she wants to be healed”. Initially, I wondered what kind of question that was, but later I asked her, “woman, do you want to be well?’. To my utmost shock she replied, “No”. In my astonishment I asked her why not, and she said, “When I was well, immediately my husband closed from his work place, he would go to club houses, but since I took ill, after work, he comes home to me. I would rather be sick and retain my husband’s attention”. There is also the case of a witch who was brought to us for deliverance some time ago. Although we prayed, she would not be delivered. So, I asked, “Woman, do you want to be delivered?” “She replied, “Do you want me to lose the power I use in controlling my husband? I don’t want to be free.” As long as you are not willing to let go of the burden on you, there is nothing God will do to take it off you. In any case, God does not force things on you against your will, except in very rare cases.
In addition, you must be ready to cry to the Burden Bearer for help like Bartimaeus did in Mark 10:46-52. He cried once and again saying:
“Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me”
When others shouted him down, he raised his voice even higher. He kept calling until the Lord heard him. If you are weighed down by a burden and you pray lackadaisically, it simply shows that you are not really concerned about that burden. If you are, you will throw caution and decorum to the wind and call upon the Lord with your whole heart, and He will answer you. Some people call on God for a little while and stop. Such people may not get the answer they seek because they are not desperate enough. If you want results, call on Him and continue calling on Him. Use every opportunity you have to call on Him. Let Him see that you have resolved not to give Him rest until he answers you. When He sees that the answer to your prayers means everything to you, He will answer. As you call on Him this season, the Lord will answer you speedily in Jesus’ Name.
KEY POINT:
If you are not ready to petition God repeatedly until He has no breathing space, you are not desperate enough for your desired change.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4:
THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR
1. Through the love of God, our Savior,
all will be well;
free and changeless is his favor,
all will be well;
precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched out to shield us,
all will be well.
2. Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well;
ours is such a full salvation,
all will be well.
happy when in god confiding,
fruitful if in Christ abiding,
holy through the Spirit's guiding,
all will be well.
3. We expect a bright tomorrow;
all will be well;
faith can sing through days of sorrow,
all will be well;
on our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying
in our living, in our dying,
all will be well.
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