USE WISDOM WHEN ASKING GOD FOR ANYTHING!

The Bible gives us examples where people asked God for things that He did not want them to have, but because they persisted and had their hearts set on their desires, God finally allowed them to receive what they craved, but it came with less than perfect consequences.

Here are some examples from the scriptures that show this to be true:

The children of Israel cried out to Yehovah, “Give us meat.” We are told they did not wait for His counsel but craved intensely in the wilderness.... so He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul:

Psalm 106:13-15: They soon forgat His works; they waited not for His counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

Again, Israel craved to have a king. They wanted to be like the other nations who had kings. The prophet Samuel was grieved at their persistent request. And Yehovah knew if He gave them their request, it would bring the nation all kinds of troubles and some consequences not inconsequentially detrimental to their wellbeing. Yehovah’s answer to their persistent cries was a mixed bag, to put it nicely. They got their king and they got trouble.

Remember the disobedient king Ahab? He wanted to go into battle, no matter what. He wanted victory for Israel. How easy to justify his intense desire by saying he was fighting against God’s enemies. He even invited the good king Jehoshaphat to join him in a confederacy to help achieve God’s victory! And there were lots of “prophets” to spur him on. But he didn’t really want to know what God thought about it all.

In the words of the NT, Ahab heaped teachers up to please his itching ears! His motives were cloaked in the guise of spirituality. King Jehoshaphat was also caught up in it all and nearly perished in the process.

Jehoshaphat was one of the most exemplary kings over God’s people, but he went against his inner conscience to go along with Ahab.

Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of Yehovah here, that we may inquire of him? : Something didn’t feel right.

In the end, Ahab and Jehoshaphat went into battle knowing the clear warnings of Yehovah.

Now, it won’t do, to dismiss this story as having no relevance to the many good Christian people who intensely desire God’s best for them when they earnestly seek for something they want”. These sincere folk cannot be compared to the disobedient and wicked Ahab, it’s true. However, the good king Jehoshaphat is in this story as a relevant warning to all good Christian people.

Good people, godly people can at times want something that they think will be good for them and continually ask God to give it to them.

Sometimes God does not stand in the way of people’s intense desires that are contrary to His will.

As already noted, good people, godly people can persistently ask for things that God does not want them to do or obtain. He in His foreknowledge knows what is good for each one of His sons and daughters, short term and long term. Be sure that what you are asking for is according to His word. If what you are asking for is indeed according to His word then by all means be persistant. However, if after a while you still have not received an answer then consider that His answer is “no”.

May our God and Father Yehovah guide us to walk on the path that leads to His soon-coming Kingdom. May He give a spirit of discernment to know what He wants us to do at any given minute.