Just Ask Him

Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

In the bible, we find a connection - the Word and Prayer...God speaks His Word, and that provokes us to pray.

You have to have a Word from God in order to have a relationship with Him.  There must be a Word first...

'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.'

If God doesn't speak to you, your life cannot be changed. It makes no difference who you are - you must understand the necessity of getting something from God.

Jesus defines prayer but just saying, 'Just ask.'

So, why are we so reluctant in the process of need? Maybe you've asked in the past - but didn't get it...perhaps someone interrogated you regarding your request, so now you don't ask anyone anymore.

However, when it comes to prayer - it's not an issue of begging! We have to push through our pride and really seek the Lord for breakthrough; whether in our homes / children / ministry / etc.

The reality is - our pride keeps us from asking...we'd rather do things on our own. This produces a 'Work-oriented' mentality.

However, The Lord only rewards those who diligently seek Him! This requires humility. A sincere crying out from a humble people. This is the environment that we are trying to maintain...in order to do this...we have to refuse to treat God like a man...

Psalm 50:21 (NKJV)

21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.

God rebukes us by telling us, that due to our misdirected arrogance, we have reduced Him to manhood...we put God on our level and treat Him as though we were speaking to a human being...we get into trouble every time. So, we stop communicating with God because we didn't get whatever we were asking for!

Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

God says, 'I am not a man that I should lie!' - Whenever you approach God, you must do so by faith!

If I'm seeking God, and negativity arises, I cannot bring God down to my level.

If God says anything - He is bound by that word! God's word can never fail...all things are held together by the power of His Word.

When you talk to God, don't treat Him like your husband / wife / brother / sister...human...He's God all by Himself.

Matthew 6:5-6 (NKJV)

The Model Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Forget the fluff, just ask.

Look at all of the miracles Jesus did for people in the gospels. Most if not all of them, were disqualified...they were NOT of Israel, but they were simple - intimate - and expectant! God leaves the door wide open with the dynamic of: 'If only you would believe in Me, I can do all things!'

How powerful is that? He's waiting for you and I to simply ask Him, so that He can show you who He really is and what He can do because He loves you!

Question: So, how do I ask?

We can ask for things, but we don't ask right...

So how? Text verse 8, now that scripture messed me up because I've asked and have yet to receive...

Faith levels the playing field | Jas. 4:3 - there cannot be ulterior / selfish motives for what you're asking for...

Faith is the key…humility and being tuned in to God’s will…this all requires listening…God is talking all the time, are you willing to listen?

Necessary Sifting

Luke 22:31-34 (NKJV)
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

Sift – To separate and retain the course parts (sand, flour, etc.)

Sieve - an instrument with a meshed or perforated bottom, used for separating coarse from fine parts of loose matter, for straining liquids, etc., especially one with a circular frame and fine meshes or perforations.

2. a person who cannot keep a secret.

What Peter has gone through is a process that is designed for every believer…this sifting process is necessary for growth and progress. This is a test conducted by hell itself. God will sift us also, but the gates of hell are known to do this. God allows this sifting process to happen – we see the first example of this in the garden. The conversation the serpent had with Eve was a sifting process, the devil wanted to see what she was made of when he challenged her obedience.

Another example is obviously found in Job. We can see this throughout the Word, but the point is, whenever this takes place in your life > how do you come out on the other side? According to Christ, this sifting process caused Peter to backslide!

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Sometimes you have to ask yourself – ‘Do I love Jesus?’ Then take that honest assessment and put it up against your everyday decisions and reactions. This will tell you the truth.

When Jesus told Peter what the devil had planned on doing…immediately, Peter makes a grand stand of virtuous commitment. He was ready to go to prison, and to even die for Jesus…that’s a bold statement to make! Jesus knew better than that…He understood that what lives in man’s heart is his ability to take care of himself, before sacrificing for another. He also understood that if you’re so convinced that you’d do the hard things, then the easy things shouldn’t be an issue…but they are!
How is it that we are so willing to die for Jesus – yet we struggle to live for Him?

Luke 6:46 (NKJV)
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

Obedience seems to be the hardest thing to do when it comes to serving God, but in actuality, it is the easiest. We choose to do the hard things because somehow, this will garner praise from others. Look at the scripture – this young man has maintained the commandments from childhood into adulthood without fail – even Jesus acknowledged this! However, he didn’t have enough of God in him to be liberal!

How many difficult things do you do for God, yet the simple things escape you? You will sacrifice your time, and give yourself to something spiritual, but you won’t do something as so simple as tithing? How about forgiving? Or how about simply being on time for church?
There are men and women in this church that will never enter into ministry – not because of the hard things, but because of the easy things…

Here's the good news...

Take courage people…Jesus is praying for you and praying for me. While Jesus anticipates our failures from time to time, He still lays the responsibility of recovering to strengthen others upon us. In other words, when, (not if), you backslide, it is YOUR responsibility to get yourself together, and go bless those who are possibly headed in the same direction as you once were.


This is why follow up is so critical.

Do you know why people don’t follow up on those they pray with? Simple, they are selfish. You’re so consumed with what’s going on in your world, that you don’t have time for other people.
Jesus told Peter that He will pray for him so that he will be able to return. The greatest thing you can ever do for someone is pray for them…not just offer up a pitiful prayer, but labor in prayer for people. It’ll give you a heart for people and connect you in ways you never thought possible!
Jesus cares for all of us – He knows this sifting process is going to happen, He prays that we are strong enough to endure, and prevail – of course, that depends on you.

All Possible

Matt. 19: 26 - "But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man things are impossible, but with God all things are possible."

If this statement is true, then it should change the way you live your life in Christ. If ALL things are literally possible with God, then the sky is the limit!! A young man in our church was telling me that he wanted God to use him, no matter what he was doing - he said that he went to wash clothes, and in the middle of doing that he prayed, 'God I know that I'm washing clothes but that's not the real reason I'm here!'  Would to God, we would keep our hearts, mind, eyes, and ears open for the voice of God.

If we would live in Christ - we would quickly come to realize that all things truly are possible. Once I understood that God can do whatever He wants to do, however He wants to do it, it gave me a peace and a liberty in His name I've never had before that time.

Sometimes, we struggle with hope and faith. We don't want to 'Get our hopes up', but where does faith come in? It comes in the everyday knowledge that no matter what we're experiencing at the moment, God already had a plan, and figured things out on our behalf! This is great news, because it lets me know that I'm not alone, and it also tells me that God is on my side.

As people of God, we must live our faith out. We can't just talk about it, or study up on it - we must put it into practice or it's just a bunch of hot air. Besides, people are tired of hearing about faith, and God, and Christ, they are looking for Him to be demonstrated in our lives! This is what the world needs, a group of believers that are truly living their faith...it takes living for the God that can do all things, to accomplish this...

Can God really do all things? What about in your life? Is He in control or are you in control? Is He the God of promises, or the God of conditions? We must put our faith where it counts...not in our own abilities and talents...but in the power of Jesus Christ Himself. His Spirit working on the inside of the child of God is the only thing necessary for Victory!!

Powerful Weekend in Christ

Matt. 11: 12 - 'From the days of John the Baptist til now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

What a time we had this weekend! We were so blessed to have the Killeen TX Church come and help us with an impact team and concert! It's such a blessing to have the Mother Church come and labor with us; their investment was not in vain. We were blessed to see 30 decisions for Christ! Actually, this was our first concert since our major remodeling project - and it was incredibly fruitful!

This should be the norm, when it comes to the church and God's people; we should always be on the move for the Kingdom of God! The church is a Movement, not a Monument!!

We enjoyed the music and drama with 4 new visitors from the outreach earlier that day! God was all over that place, and the altar call had drawn sinners to repentance.

2nd Cor. 5: 11 - 'Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I trust we are well known in your consciences.

A church moving in God's direction is on the cutting edge for Jesus! If you're not on the edge for Christ, then you're taking up too much space!!

Your Problem Serves a Purpose

2 Kings 5: 1-2, 'Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife.' Our text peaks into the private life of a soldier…we can see what Naaman actually looks like without his armor…I wonder who you really are without your armor on? Many scholars believe that it was the arrow of Naaman that struck Ahab in the last battle against Israel – this propelled his career, and so now, he’s the captain of the host. He’s definitely earned his stripes and respect on the field of battle, BUT…he was a leper…A secret problem, but very relevant…beneath all of your tapestry…what are you hiding? This is why I serve God, because a relationship with God goes deeper than the shining ministry I hold; it reaches down into the toxic wasteland of my soul…Naaman had to come home and deal with what’s under his armor; behind closed doors…and so do you. Naaman can slay thousands of men in battle, but cannot conquer his own flesh…yet, we will all discover that our problems serve a purpose. It’s at home where he reveals his vulnerability, but in the presence of a servant girl…a little girl whom he stole from the Israel in his victory of battle…He was probably afflicted with leprosy because of what he did…but it didn’t change his attitude towards her…’Who are you to me anyway?’ This girl was nothing to him; she was a slave, snatched from her home and family; she was an immigrant, poor > and in spite of where she now was in life > her problem was disguised as a purpose. Now, she could’ve complained about her situation, she decided to testify to her captor about deliverance she will never receive! She didn’t realize at the time, that she had more power than he did! Naaman became great because of what he did – she was greater because of who she knew! Who you know will always trump what you do. So, the real test of character is what you do with power – when you have an advantage…Naaman was at the mercy of a ‘Little Maid’ (on the outside) God allowed Naaman to take captive the very cure to his crisis…oftentimes what you conquer can hold your cure. - Conquer your prayer life - Conquer your devotion / personal witness / liberality – there’s healing and deliverance there. Psalm 37:23-24 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. This sounds good, so long as our steps are going upward, but what do you do when you are ordered to go down? Is He just your God in the good times… She made the decision to help her captor! LISTEN* Whenever you hold back on what you COULD do, God holds back on what He can do! You are no more deserving of the blessing you seek, than the blessing you hold from the person you hate* Mercy Produces Mighty Verse 3 - Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” But, how bad do you wanna be delivered? She tells him to go back to the same country he just vanquished! He tries to dance around the issues by consulting kings…what Naaman seeks can’t be found in the palace; it’s in your HUMILITY He had to go down, while trying to go up! The way out may not be what you thought…His deliverance came through humility. He had to go DOWN from Syria to Israel; from the palace to the prophet’s house, from the prophet to a servant, from the servant to the Jordan River. Go low enough – and you’ll find healing and exaltation… James 4:6 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The instructions were to dip 7 times! This can’t be a one time thing. You can’t have a quick fix in your character. One altar call won’t cut it – one act of worship / prayer / devotion is not enough…there’s always heartache and discouragement…’Might as well give up!’ ‘Might as well leave the church’ – you probably only tried just a handful of times, or you continue to do the same things expecting different results… However, when Naaman dipped the 7th time…EVERYTHING CHANGED! *I wonder if the leprosy on the outside was a true indication of what was happening on the inside? Naaman’s pride was in the way – your deliverance should be more important than your image… This entire episode has nothing to do with Naaman directly…but it does have a lot to do with Syria… Now that Naaman is healed, he can take that deliverance (along with dirt), back to Syria and worship God! The same country that was a sworn enemy, now has a dignitary that is willing to worship their God, establish His name in an enemy territory – and display the mighty works of healing there! This is one of the rare moments in the Old Testament where you see God reaching for Gentiles! What impact can God make through your life? You must humble yourself and let God be God first…the rest…we’ll see.

Fight For Dominion

2 Samuel 5:6-10

The Conquest of Jerusalem

⁶ And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
⁸ Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
⁹ Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. ¹⁰ So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.



As a child of God, you must fight for dominion! This is the essence of spiritual warfare...maintaining dominion; as you can see however, this scripture speaks of having to fight AGAIN...there's nothing more frustrating than having won a battle, having to go back and win again...

Judges 1:8

⁸ Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 

This is nothing new...Jerusalem was conquered before, but now the Jebusites are there - and they must be taken out! Listen, just because you've conquered something in your life, don't be delusional, you will have to fight again...the issue is dominion.

Let me tell you something about the devil - he hates pioneering! He doesn't wanna venture into new territory, he wants to hang on to what he already has!

Matthew 12:43-45

An Unclean Spirit Returns

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

The enemy loves to hold on to people, even after they move on with the Kingdom of God, he's still after them to turn around...listen, don't give him that chance - fight for dominion again...let him have it for what he's done to you before Christ. So understand, that dominion has to be fought for - it doesn't come easy at all...always remember; the main thing, is to keep the Main Thing, the main thing...

 














 

Go Up

1 Samuel 14:1-14

14 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. ² And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. ³ Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

⁴ Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. ⁵ The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

Davao City Philippines Conference 

⁶ Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
⁷ So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”
⁸ Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”
¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.” ¹² Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.”
Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” ¹³ And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. ¹⁴ That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land.

Just like Jonathan had a spirit of adventure and was willing to take action - we must adopt that same spirit! He went into unfamiliar territory, faced overwhelming odds, in the name of conquering the enemies of God! This is what pastoring and pioneering is all about! If you and I would lay down our lives and go for God - there is no limit to what Jesus can do in our lives!

Street Preaching In Ghana



God brought about a great victory because they understood that no weapon formed against them would ever prosper - too many Christians spend their lives being on the defensive, when we should be a people who take it to hell's gates and conquer the enemy, rescue the lost, and maintain dominion!


Pastor Wayman Mitchell