There’s a passage in the Gospels where Jesus told his disciples that anything they ask for in His name will be given to them. Another place He says, “You have not, because you ask not.” So, why don’t people ask for tons of stuff, “In Jesus’ name, amen.”? Because that’s not what it means. “In Jesus’ name” is not a magic spell. “I ask for three hundred cookies, in Jesus’ name, amen” will not get you three hundred cookies because even though you say the words, it’s not something Jesus would condone. In short, it’s not in God’s will for you to have three hundred cookies. So, what DOES it mean? It means that if you ask for something that God wants to give you, it’ll happen. Maybe not right away, but it will. Because God really wants to give you good things. It’s possible that at some bizarre point in time three hundred cookies will be of benefit, but I doubt it. If you ask God to help change you so you don’t want three hundred cookies, that’s another story. “God, help me to not want three hundred cookies, in Jesus’ name, amen.” That’s something God could get behind because there’s a benefit for you in not wanting so many cookies – especially if you’re diabetic. Even three hundred healthy cookies wouldn’t be good for you, diabetic or not. I look at God’s will like a river. We’re in a canoe, and sometimes that river is wide, sometimes narrow. As we move down that river, we could ask God to put us closer to one bank or the next, and as long as it’s in the river of God’s will, it’s ours. If there’s three hundred cookies on top of that cliff next to the river, forget about it. Not going to happen, regardless of how much we ask. If we ask for something that’s on God’s river, it’s also possible the river doesn’t go there yet. You might see three hundred cookies on another curve in the river, and five years from now you’ll be a missionary in some poverty-stricken place where those cookies will help accomplish His will. Then, BAM! Three hundred cookies. You can give them to children who might accept Christ because a pile of cookies gets delivered by some philanthropist. The point of all this is not the words – it’s the attitude. Seek what He wants first, then everything else you need will be there when you need it. Even if it’s three hundred cookies.
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