"When I was a boy in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them."
~ Proverbs 4:3-5
From the above verse, we get that Proverbs is mostly a record of what David taught Solomon. Great men and women are usually those that have been taught, not by any organized system of education, but by their fathers and mothers – or mentors. It is important to train a child in the way he or she should go, in accordance with God’s word. Teach your children – biological and otherwise – the right values. Clearly, the most important thing David taught Solomon was the importance of wisdom. He taught him the supremacy of wisdom.
"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7).
This was why, when God gave Solomon a blank cheque, he asked for wisdom.
Read 1 Kings 3:5-15
Interestingly, God commended Solomon, not just for the things he asked for, but also for the things he didn’t ask for. So, there are things to ask for. Also, when God tells you to ask, it doesn’t mean you should just rush in and ask.
The invitation to ask is usually a test of your heart and values.
Let’s examine the following words of Jesus:
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
~Luke 11:9-10
Everyone who asks receives, right?
Well, let’s see:
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
~James 4:3
Did you see that? “When you ask you do not receive…”
So, you can ask and not receive. This, as James points out, happens when you ask for the wrong things, or with the wrong motives.
Clearly, the offer to ask doesn’t mean you should rush ahead and ask, because if you ask for the wrong things, or with the wrong motives, you will get nothing from God.
A little girl’s smarts
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
~Matthew 14:6-11
This little girl demonstrated more wisdom than most of today’s believers. When the King told her to ask for anything up to the half of his kingdom, she didn’t ask. Instead, she let her mother tell her what to ask for!
When you get the opportunity to ask for whatever you want, do not be in a hurry to ask; seek counsel from those that are more experienced, and wiser; seek advice from mentors. Nevertheless, the no one person you should go to for counsel is the Holy Spirit.
Our Chief Counselor
Look at what the bible says here:
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
~Romans 8:26
We do not know what to ask for. And if you think you are smart enough to ask for yourself, check how many of your prayers that God has answered.
Instead of rushing ahead with stupid and selfish prayers that God will never answer, let the Holy Spirit and the word of God decide the content of your prayers.
Get your desires from God.
When Jesus invited us to ask for anything, He never intended it as a license to pray stupid and selfish prayers. In fact, in that invitation, He was referring particularly to asking for what God has already promised – the Holy Spirit.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
~Luke 11:11-13
Your prayers must reflect back to God what He has already promised in His word to give you; and this is only possible when you are praying in the Spirit, that is, asking only for what He tells you to ask for.
Let the Holy Spirit and the word of God decide the content of your prayers.
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
~Psalms 37:4
Let God give you what to desire.
Joy in the Holy Spirit
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,"
~Romans 14:17
If your heart’s desires are decided by the Holy Spirit and God’s word, your prayers will be in line the will of God and He will answer them. The result here is fullness of joy.
On the other hand, if your heart’s desires are decided by your flesh and worldly values, your prayers will be outside the will of God and He will never answer them. The result here is frustration.
Fullness of joy happens when your hearts desires are granted by God.
The opposite of this joy is frustration which happens when your desires are not granted. A lot of Christians today are frustrated, and many more will be frustrated in the year ahead, because they do not have the right desires.
If you want peace and fullness of joy from God in the coming year, let Him determine the content of your heart’s desires.
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
~Psalms 37:4
Let God give you what to desire.
When you seek first the Kingdom of God, as Jesus Christ told us to, God gives you His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then helps you pray for the right things, thus ensuring that you continuously experience His joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.
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