- Joined
- Feb 9, 2004
- Messages
- 17,078
Ask, And It Shall Be Given - March 02, 2006
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall opened." Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)
The man lived in an old mobile home in a very old mobile home park with his wife and two step sons. Recently his wife had lost her job and was having difficulty finding another job. The man had accepted Jesus when he was eleven years old. After graduating from high school, he occasionally attended church, but never regularly. For some reason, whenever he found himself in church, it was only during a hard time in his life. Usually it was because he experienced financial, marital, emotional, or spiritual problems. Problems are what drove him to church and drove him to pray.
Well, this was one of those times. The problem was financial, it was emotional, it was marital, and it was spiritual. As usual, he prayed (begged) God to help him and as usual, he felt like it did not help.
A few days later, God responded, "Why are you praying?"
The man thought about this for several days. He realized that God was answering his prayers. The rent was paid, he had electricity, water, a car, and food. So, the man prayed again: "Lord, I have realized that I only pray or go to church when I am having problems. Please forgive me for this. I give you thanks for my dad who led me to you, I thank you for my wife, my stepsons, my job, my home, and my car. All I will ask is that you will fill me with your Holy Spriit and make me the man, husband, stepfather, son, and Christian that you want me to be. In Jesus' name, Amen."
The very next day, the man awoke with a new view on life. He felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. He was inspired to pray for other people and to give his problems to God. He went to church even after most of his problems were solved. From time to time he would fall away. He would lose the feeling and inspiration. However, every time that he asked for God to fill him with the Holy Spirit, God would answer.
Over the next several months, he prayed this more and more often until he felt filled with the Spirit so often that people at work began labeling him as a "Christian". His marriage became wonderful and his relationship with his stepsons became very friendly. He moved into a better home, bought a better vehicle, and began a new job that paid all of his family's medical benefits. People began to notice the changes in his life, and he remembered to thank God for these gifts.
One day God asked the man to do something for Him, "Write this!"
Contributed by Dwayne Hollars: texhollars@yahoo.com Dwayne, who resides in Burleson, Texas with his family, is new to writing short stories and devotionals.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall opened." Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)
The man lived in an old mobile home in a very old mobile home park with his wife and two step sons. Recently his wife had lost her job and was having difficulty finding another job. The man had accepted Jesus when he was eleven years old. After graduating from high school, he occasionally attended church, but never regularly. For some reason, whenever he found himself in church, it was only during a hard time in his life. Usually it was because he experienced financial, marital, emotional, or spiritual problems. Problems are what drove him to church and drove him to pray.
Well, this was one of those times. The problem was financial, it was emotional, it was marital, and it was spiritual. As usual, he prayed (begged) God to help him and as usual, he felt like it did not help.
A few days later, God responded, "Why are you praying?"
The man thought about this for several days. He realized that God was answering his prayers. The rent was paid, he had electricity, water, a car, and food. So, the man prayed again: "Lord, I have realized that I only pray or go to church when I am having problems. Please forgive me for this. I give you thanks for my dad who led me to you, I thank you for my wife, my stepsons, my job, my home, and my car. All I will ask is that you will fill me with your Holy Spriit and make me the man, husband, stepfather, son, and Christian that you want me to be. In Jesus' name, Amen."
The very next day, the man awoke with a new view on life. He felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. He was inspired to pray for other people and to give his problems to God. He went to church even after most of his problems were solved. From time to time he would fall away. He would lose the feeling and inspiration. However, every time that he asked for God to fill him with the Holy Spirit, God would answer.
Over the next several months, he prayed this more and more often until he felt filled with the Spirit so often that people at work began labeling him as a "Christian". His marriage became wonderful and his relationship with his stepsons became very friendly. He moved into a better home, bought a better vehicle, and began a new job that paid all of his family's medical benefits. People began to notice the changes in his life, and he remembered to thank God for these gifts.
One day God asked the man to do something for Him, "Write this!"
Contributed by Dwayne Hollars: texhollars@yahoo.com Dwayne, who resides in Burleson, Texas with his family, is new to writing short stories and devotionals.
