I have been bothered for some time now by those who pray
with the “name it and claim it” mentality. They give me the impression that
they can command God to do what they want Him to, or to give them what they
want. I believe it moves God alright; to anger. I believe it infuriates Him
when someone will demand something instead of asking for something. Many have
said to “pray the Word of God” if we want our prayers answered. Many say to “remind
Him of His promises in His Word.” Are you kidding me? Do they really think that
we have to remind God of His promises in His Word? They somehow think that His
Word is to be used only to obtain what they want. “Well, God, You said You
would do this.” God knows what He said.
Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” We have a tendency to skip over the “You did not choose Me, but I chose you,” part of praying. James and John asked Jesus if one could sit on His right and the other on His left when He came into His kingdom. He said, “No.” It was not His to give He said! That prayer was not answered the way they wanted it to be. How does it make you feel when someone comes to you and says, “You WILL do what I want” as opposed to asking you to do what they want? Most of us rebel and would die before we would do it. It rubs us the wrong way and causes us to feel indignation when someone demands something of us.
It is a social trait that has been impressed upon us for so
long that we apply it to everything in our life. What trait? Demanding. From
the time we come into the world we learn to demand what we want. The little
infant cries to demand food or attention. We are constantly having things
demanded of us, or we are demanding things of others. We can cross the line
when it comes to prayer if we apply this trait to God. We have to remember what
even Jesus Himself said to the Father; “Not MY will, but YOURS be done.” Jesus
ASKED if there was another way to secure our redemption without having to have
our sin put upon Him but knew that it was the Father’s plan and He would carry
it out. Asking and demanding are entirely two different things. I am not
telling you anything you do not already know but perhaps I am reminding you
that you demand more than ask sometimes when you pray.
Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” We have a tendency to skip over the “You did not choose Me, but I chose you,” part of praying. James and John asked Jesus if one could sit on His right and the other on His left when He came into His kingdom. He said, “No.” It was not His to give He said! That prayer was not answered the way they wanted it to be. How does it make you feel when someone comes to you and says, “You WILL do what I want” as opposed to asking you to do what they want? Most of us rebel and would die before we would do it. It rubs us the wrong way and causes us to feel indignation when someone demands something of us.
Some say we are not praying in faith if we do not “demand”
what we have been promised. Let me tell you something about praying in faith,
if you think faith is linked with demanding you need to go back to the altar. If
you think God owes you something because of His promises, you need to go back
to the altar. If you think God is obligated to give you what you want wrapped
up in a prayer that is supposed to be prayed in faith; you need to go back to
the altar. Praying in faith is asking God what we want and accepting His will
to do what He wants. Jesus said to ask the Father in His name, not to tell the
Father in His name.
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