How To Get What You Want

How To Get What You Want

written by David Munn

I was at the church the other night praying.

 Just going through the normal rhetoric

 of what I wanted from God, and what I wasn't seeing,

even though it's promised in the Bible.

 I was telling the Lord of all the crazy things

 people have seen and have had happen to them,

 that are attributed to Him,

 and yet I haven't experienced any of that kind of stuff.

As I was praying this, the verse that says,

"these signs shall follow them that believe;

In my name shall they cast out devils;

they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents;

and if they drink any deadly thing,

it shall not hurt them;

they shall lay hands on the sick,

 and they shall recover",

 came to mind.

I said "Ok God, that makes sense.

 I don't need to see angel feathers floating from the ceiling,

or gold fillings appear in my teeth,

or oil flowing from my hands,

or jewels appearing on my doorstep,

 but I do want what You promised!"
After all it's in Your word,

 shouldn't I expect it?

I do believe,

but just in case,

let me be like the man that said

"help thou mine unbelief."

Is that the case?

 That I'm not believing enough?

"These signs shall follow them that believe."

That's what it says.

You said it.

And I kept on berating God about what I'm not seeing,

 signs and wonders.

Telling Him that's what we need in our church,

more spiritual manifestations.

(All the while thanking Him of course,

for all that He has been doing.)

Reminding Him of what Paul had said,

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom,

 but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

That's what I wanted!

 A demonstration of the Spirit,

 a display of God's power.

I said kind of laughingly to God,

 "I know that I'm asking for a lot,

and not really offering you much to work with,

 I'm asking for a lot

 and not really giving you much."

And as I was praying that,

 I had to stop.

I took myself by surprise.

 I had to repeat what I was telling God, to myself.

Isn't it funny when God repeats your words back to you?

It was as if He said "Did you hear what you just said?"

It stopped my prayer in its tracks.

It isn't You God. It's me.

It's not that You won't or can't or don't want to,

it's just that I am not at that place yet.

 I haven't prepared myself,

I have not put in the necessary time,

 the necessary "blood, sweat, and tears"

so to speak.

He reminded me of two verses.

"The effectual fervent prayer

 of a righteous man

availeth much."

A righteous man?

I don't know if I would really consider myself in that category.

I began praying "Lord put your robe of righteousness around me, make me as you are."

The Lord has imputed unto us His righteousness.

(James 2:23)

But what about the effectual fervent prayer?

We can't expect God to do that for us can we?

Could that be the reason we aren't seeing anything spectacular or special or undeniably spiritual?

Could that be the reason we aren't "availing" much?

Once we know that we are in right standing with God(righteous),

what's to stop us from that effectual fervent prayer that availeth much?

That's the question isn't it?

What does stop us?

(don't continue reading, think about it for a second)

"you have not because you ask not"

The second verse He reminded me of was this one.

"...He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him"

let me give you a few more translations:

1. He rewards those who earnestly seek Him

2. He rewards those who sincerely seek Him

3. He becomes a Rewarder to those who seek Him out

4. He rewards those who sincerely look for Him

5. to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder

6. He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him out.

Are you seeing the picture that God was painting me? 

Tell me this, why would God give you anything that you really didn't want?

How does God know that we really want something?

When we ask and continue to ask.

When we sincerely, earnestly, and diligently seek Him.

And not just once.

Consistently.

"lest by her continual coming she weary me"

(Luke 18:5)

In vs.7, it goes on to say that

those who cry unto God day and night, even though he bears long with them, are God's own elect.

"Covet earnestly the best gifts"

How diligent have I/we been in seeking God?

How earnest have I/we been?

How consistent have I/we been?

And yet I/we have some expectation of a reward?

God is a just God.

He doesn't just go around doling out rewards to those

who haven't worked for them.

In fact, He took away from the slothful servant and gave his portion to the servant who had worked the hardest.

Like I said in my opening sentence....

I was at the church praying.....

and God in His own way....

was telling me that the secret to getting what I wanted,

 was to continue doing what I had begun doing....

praying more. 

But not just praying...desiring, hungering, thirsting,

 being more diligent in seeking, being more fervent,

 being more consistent.

What is it that you are seeking after?

What is the reward that you want from God?

Is there anything that you want, or are desiring, from God?

As simple as it seems, the answer is found in prayer.
(By prayer I mean communication with God,
 not just vain ramblings to fill time.)

And these two verses are the blueprint.

"The effectual fervent prayer

of a righteous man

availeth much."

and

"He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."