If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
Jesus means what He says. What He says He means.
We are to take these two verses and live in them. And man, this is hard!
For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways . . . Do not be deceived, my beloved brethen. James 1:7-8, 16
It isn't "Name it, Claim it" like Jesus is some Big Eternal Santa Claus or Sugar Daddy. It is Him wanting us to believe no matter what and hold on even when everything we see is contradicting what we are believing for.
Now, we can't believe for things that are anti-God (well, we can but God isn't going to honor those requests). We shouldn't waste time believing for things that will satisfy our greed and lust.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3
Last week we were sent a new payment book for our mortgage. When I received it I was speechless. For months we've been trying to work with our mortgage company to get the loan modified, but nothing appeared to be happening. I've been believing God would work it out though because I know He isn't done with us here yet. There is more work to do for Him. I have no problem moving but I didn't believe and still don't believe we are supposed to go.
So the payment book arrived with no "we have approved your loan modification" official letter or nay explanation whatsoever. Just the book and a bunch of envelopes. And the payment is lower than it was -- by about $50.
I should have been happy. And I was but not wholly (I am really showing my pathetic faith here). For we were told when we started this process that our lawyer could get the payment down by like $200. That sounded good to us, very doable. But it didn't happen and I said, Oh Lord, you want me to keep believing. You want me to be content not knowing how things will be paid, to believe for Him to provide month by month.
He's got a plan. But I just wanted to coast. I wanted to just be able to pay my bills mindlessly. I don't know what God has in store, but He isn't done yet. He wants us all to live big faith lives, to believe for Him to work miracles, to partner with Him to seek His Kingdom come in hearts all around us.
Oh Lord, help me be content