Make Demands in Prayer
By Tosin Lawal
Devotional Reading: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24 NIV
In our opening text, Our Lord Jesus Christ was admonishing his disciples and challenging them for not asking for anything in his name. He said, “ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” One thing that first struck my heart is that Jesus’ statement implies that God is interested in the happiness of his children. He is interested in our joy being complete.
The statement of Jesus agrees that a man’s joy will not be complete if he doesn’t have his needs met. However, we see Jesus urging his disciples to ask so that they can receive. In our opening text, the word translated “ask” also refers to making demands or requesting.
To make demands means you are letting God know what you want. It calls for being specific.
You see, making demands in the place of prayer is one major way we get to enjoy the generosity of God. It is a major way God has designed to meet our needs. God is generous does not automatically mean that he will begin to do things for you without asking for them. God is more interested in meeting your needs than you care. However, making demands in prayers is somewhat like God’s logistics system in meeting our needs. We cannot boycott it.
When we make demands, we are confident that we will receive what we have demanded. The scriptures are full of the assurance that we will have our needs met when we make the demand in prayers. In fact, in 1 John 5:14, the apostle John wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” It is God’s will to hear us. It is God’s will that our needs are met. It is God’s will that our joy is complete.
Even though you might not believe man’s words, you can always hold God at his words. God is not a man that will say a thing that he doesn’t mean or that will not come to pass. God is God. Take him for his words. How enormous your demands are is inconsequential to God. He is more than capable of meeting them. He is God almighty. God’s word says in Ephesians 3:20NIV that “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
The only man that will not receive his desires from God is the man that will not make demands in prayers. God is committed to meeting your needs when you make demands in prayer. Take advantage of it.
Prayer and Confession
I repent, Lord, of sometimes/always complaining instead of expressing my need before you. You are committed to meeting my needs, so you can do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within me.
Further readings: 1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 7:7-11, Mark 11:24
