Originally posted by Ironside:
2) We are to be praying for wisdom
Too many of us do not know how to handle trials and so we need to
be in our knees and ask for wisdom about how to handle it and
spiritually profit from the trials we face that it may truly
accomplish what it was sent for: to make us complete and lacking
nothing in the fight of faith.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
[We need endurance, patience and perseverance in the walk towards
maturity]
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to
him.
James 1:5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to
him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Many a times when we pray about some thing/issue, often we have
doubts in our hearts as in "will God hears my prayer? do I have any
faults that I need to repent of first? or repent enough? ....", how
beautiful it is to know, when asking for something, God answers
without finding faults on us. when asking God, do not doubt, just
believe that He who loves us also hears us.
Matthew 7:7-12
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will
be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then,
though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those
who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have
them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Cross-reference the verses between James and Matthew, this then
is how we should pray (submit our petitions) to God. Pray with the
confidence that God does hear our prayer, and He will most
definitely answers our prayer, having the confidence not in
ourselves but in His goodness and faithfulness.
Q: Can we ask just anything we want, since we are to pray/ask with
confidence?
