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The Bible teaches that it is God's Will for His children to have all the help they need, when they need it.
Luk 11:5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, Luk 11:6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' Luk 11:7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' Luk 11:8 (NIV) I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Luk 11:8 (KJV) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. Luk 11:8 (LITV) I say to you, Even if rising up he will not give to him because he is a friend, yet because of his shameless insisting, rising up he will give him as many as he needs. Luk 11:9 "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. Luk 11:10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. This tells us how to pray, but the key to getting your prayer answered is in the underlined portion of verse 9. Look at the following verses to get a better understanding of how that works. Jos 14:9 So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' Jos 14:10 "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! Jos 14:11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Jos 14:12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." Jos 14:13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Jos 14:14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. Caleb remembered what the LORD said to him through Moses. At the right time he went to Joshua and ask for his land. Did Joshua get his army together and go take the land from the enemy and give it to Caleb? The answer is no. Caleb knew that he was going to have to take the land from the enemy, but he also knew that he would not have to do in his own strength. Caleb said with the LORD helping me I will drive them out. Mat 11:12 (KJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Who gets it? The answer is those who are willing to take it. Faith is involved in this, because you need to be certain that it belongs to you before you take it. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There will be boldness come on you if you know for certain that something belongs to you, and someone, or something, is keeping it from you. That's when you get aggressive. This is especially true when you know that The All Mighty God is going before you, and with you, and is watching your back. When you think, I have angels, I have The Holy Spirit, and I have The Word of God, all working on by behalf. That's when you get very bold. I believe that's why God told Joshua to keep His Word before him day and night. Luk 11:11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Luk 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? Luk 11:13 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!" Mat 7:11 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 good gifts to those who ask him! This is telling us that God our Father wants us to have what you ask for. I gave both accounts of this statement that Jesus made so you would know that the promise does not pertain only to those asking for the Holy Spirit. Quit begging for something that has already been given. Don't be a wimp, be a Caleb. Heb 4:16 (LITV) Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and we may find grace for timely help. When can you approach the throne of grace with confidence? You can do it when you know it has already been given. That's why you need your Bible. The Bible tells you what has been given. Confidence and shamelessness is not the same word, but you cannot have confidence if you are ashamed. Timely help, is help when you need it. 1Jn 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. Faith begins where the will of God is known. |