It amazes me sometimes how people say they want the LORD to do this or that for them, yet their words come against the very things they want.  For example, someone asks for me to pray that God blesses their finances, so I do, but they turn around and tell me how poor they are and how everything seems to go wrong for them.  What’s wrong with that picture?  I’ll tell you: they pray, then don’t see it as DONE!  Why pray if you don’t believe it’s done, even as you have asked?  So this is what I’d like to talk about today.

It is written in 1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Did you see that?  Read it again if you didn’t get all it said.  First, we must ask according to His will, and if we do, He hears us. Then we know whatsoever we ask, we HAVE those things.  So if we have them, why do we keep acting and talking like we DON’T have them?  Seems kind of counter-productive to me, how about you?  But yet, that’s how the majority of people act after they pray.

You may say, How do I know if what I’ve prayed is God’s will or not? Well, why don’t you find out if what you want is God’s will?  How do you know His will?  Read the Bible, for it is the will of God written down for you so you will know exactly how to pray.

Being I happened to start out on the subject of finances, let’s see what God has to say about our finances.  There are MANY scriptures concerning that, and I’ll use only a few here for lack of time and space.
Proverbs 10:4, He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Joshua 1:8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success..
1 Kings 2:3, And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.
3 John 2,  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Now last time I wrote about how there are blessings in the Old Testament, and Salvation in the New Testament, and I hope you read it.  People want to be be blessed, and there are tons of blessings in the Old Testament, but they are all hinged upon your OBEDIENCE to God.  People say the law is done away with.  Well, if that’s the case, then sadly, the BLESSINGS are also done away with.  Many churches teach about the blessings of Abraham, which consisted of material blessings and riches.  They want the riches, but don’t want to obey God. HMMMM, that kind of messes things up, doesn’t it?  Especially if you’re asking God for material blessings, and He’s saying, OK, are you doing my will? And of course you have to say, We believe we’re not under the law anymore, so, Uhhh, no, LORD, I’m doing my OWN thing here, not yours, but I just want you to bless me anyway. Sorry, friend, it isn’t going to work that way.  It’s God’s way or the highway, know what I mean?

Remember back there in 1 John 5:14, it says if we ask anything according to His will? Well, it’s His will that you prosper alright, but it’s ALSO His will that you OBEY Him. That reminds me of another verse:
Isaiah 1:19-20, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured by the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

So then, if we’re doing what is according to God’s will, we can pretty much ask for anything we want, and receive it from Him.  You can search the scriptures diligently, and you cannot find any passage that limits what you can ask of God and receive.  Here, let’s look at what Jesus said in John  5:12-15,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Here the Lord Jesus not only said that WHATSOEVER you ask in His name, that will He do, HE SAID IT TWICE!  So what is the limiting factor here?  IF YE LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. Aw but you don’t want to keep His commandments?  Then these verses don’t apply to you.  So you have to make a decision, if you want the blessings, you must be obedient.  If you don’t want the blessings, then do what you please, but don’t bawl and squall when things don’t turn out too well for you.

Yes, you can be diligent in your business pursuits and prosper to some extent, but if you REALLY want to be blessed, you must be obedient.  Like it says in Isaiah 1:19, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land…..well, lots of people are willing, but they’re not obedient.  AND, there are those who are obedient, but, believe it or not, they’re not willing.  Some have been taught by their churches that it is God’s will for you to be broke and so poor you can’t even pay attention.  There are lots of ditches we can get in, and we need to have the wisdom of God so we can stay in the middle of the road and out of the ditches.  And that’s why I’m telling you, READ YOUR BIBLE and you will KNOW the will of God before you pray.  Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24,

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
So there you have the short version of how to have the things you are asking God for. Do these things, and you will find your prayers answered.  Don’t try finding a shortcut, for there isn’t one. It takes OBEDIENCE, TRUST, FAITH and a heart that loves to do God’s will.  So ask according to God’s will, believe you receive, and praise God for the results!