Imagine this. Imagine that you are dreaming about God. Think about his, glory and majesty, how great and mighty his presence would feel. You can barely recover from the love that absorbs your whole body when you realize that the Ancient of Days has decided to grace your life with a manifestation of his presence.
Imagine that while still in wonder, God says these words to you "My dear _____, ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you." Imagine your mind racing, Oh! Lord what can I ask for. You cannot ask yet because you are experiencing something to wonderful, the presence of God is too amazing for you to contain, so you open your mouth to talk and words of praise, worship and surrender are flowing from the bottom of your heart. While this is happening you realize that the magnificent all powerful father, master, maker that you are worshipping just gave you a blank check. You are well aware that nothing is too difficult for him and you can tell that he wont hold back anything good from you, he can even give you a country if you ask for it. Now is the time to ask, Lord, Alagbada ina, please give me _______________________
What would you ask for?
What do you have on your list during crossover service or when a pastor says, ask God for 1 thing.
Someone has been in these shoes before (Solomon), he had a similar experience. Recently, I read the passage again and it made me wonder. How did Solomon decide on what to ask for? Lord! how do I know what to ask for, how do I know what I need?
You may know the story of Solomon already but remember that God's word is food for your spirit so I will paste this passage here. Read every line with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
1 Kings 3
3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.
Did you start a project and all of a sudden you feel its going out of your control?
Are you sitting at the head of an organization, a unit or a team and you feel grossly unqualified all of a sudden?
It is okay. All you need to do, is go back to the beginning. Who brought you here?
If you didn't get there by your own strength and wisdom
If God pulled the strings and led you in that direction
If you know it was God's idea in the first place
Then relax. He is the great orchestrator and he will not lead you somewhere to abandon you. Lean on HIM.
Acts 17:28
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. God made David king and Solomon too. Solomon sat on the throne as King and realized that he didn't have on his own what it took to rule the Israelites so he tapped into his real source - God. He said:
- “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart.
- You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
- you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
- Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
- So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
His key was humility. Sometimes we equate ourselves with the things that God has done in our lives. We attribute it to our smartness, our righteousness, our level of intelligence, education, circumstances of our birth and so on. We thank God for it, but somewhere in our minds we believe that God chose us because we are qualified. But the truth is, God doesn't necessarily call us according to our present qualifications, he qualifies us for our calling. When we think that we are qualified, it gives a temporary good feeling but it can often put us under undue pressure to keep up something we didn't start in the first place.
Look over your life, and if you can really come to realise and agree that there is no way you could have gotten where you are without Gods hand and blessing, then you will know exactly what you need to ask for in order to do his will.
Be encouraged to press-on
Be encouraged to press-on
Be inspired to reach higher
Be ready for greatness
Tap into the bottomless-you that exists in God.
You can truly do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens you. After all, it is in him you live, move and have your being. What you need, He definitely has.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
My father God and king, you are beautiful beyond description. My God who has no abandoned projects, the all mighty, all powerful God. You are great, you do great things and you have all power in your hands. Thank you for making what you have made me today. A mother, father, husband, wife, leader, teacher, CEO, son, daughter, businessman e.t.c Lord when my heart is overwhelmed, help me to cast all my cares on you. Knowing that you who have brought me this far will not leave me until you bring me to an expected end. I lean on you in my weakness, and my strength comes from you. Help me to submit to you in all things, knowing that your joy is my strength. I commit my family, friends, my colleagues, my pastor and the Church into your hands. Strengthen each on of us to be our best-selves in you. In Jesus Name.
Amen
