ASK FOR THE RIGHT THING!

1 Samuel 8:1-22 TLB

In his old age, Samuel retired and appointed his sons as judges in his place. [2] Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba; [3] but they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and were very corrupt in the administration of justice. [4] Finally the leaders of Israel met in Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. [5] They told him that since his retirement things hadn't been the same, for his sons were not good men. "Give us a king like all the other nations have," they pleaded. [6] Samuel was terribly upset and went to the Lord for advice. [7] "Do as they say," the Lord replied, "for I am the one they are rejecting, not you-they don't want me to be their king any longer. [8] Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. [9] Do as they ask, but warn them about what it will be like to have a king!" [10] So Samuel told the people what the Lord had said: [11] "If you insist on having a king, he will conscript your sons and make them run before his chariots; [12] some will be made to lead his troops into battle, while others will be slave laborers; they will be forced to plow in the royal fields and harvest his crops without pay, and make his weapons and chariot equipment. [13] He will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. [14] He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his friends. [15] He will take a tenth of your harvest and distribute it to his favorites. [16] He will demand your slaves and the finest of your youth and will use your animals for his personal gain. [17] He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. [18] You will shed bitter tears because of this king you are demanding, but the Lord will not help you." [19] But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said, [20] "for we want to be like the nations around us. He will govern us and lead us to battle." [21] So Samuel told the Lord what the people had said, [22] and the Lord replied again, "Then do as they say and give them a king." So Samuel agreed and sent the men home again.

The Lord commands us, yes, commands, to ask. The Bible says, "Ask and you shall receive whatever you ask for," but only when your asking is aligned with the word of God and His will, according to 1 John 5:14-15. Wanting, wanting! Getting, getting! But what do you want, and what are you getting? Are you asking for what you want or need, for the right things?

"I want that, this, more, yours! That’s mine!" These are a few of the phrases children first learn to say and use! They are not hesitant or embarrassed to express their desire for something. On the contrary, they are as loud as can be in expressing their desires.

We always want more of anything that we like—maybe one more sweet, biscuit, or an extra scoop of ice cream. We ask for more because what we have is never enough. We think asking for more will make us feel better, but if it’s the wrong thing, the only thing that is going to make us feel better is to have as much more as we wish and want, even when it’s not good for us. One more of anything may make us sick, but we may get it anyway, just to keep us happy or quiet.

The saying “be careful what you wish for because it might come true” then becomes true!

Israel wanted to be like the nations around them by having a king—even though they already had one: God. Even though it wasn’t God’s plan, He gave them what they wanted.

Have you ever found yourself longing, wishing, and asking for something just because your friends have one? Do you want whatever you are asking for just to feel good because you need it or just to have one upper hand?

Be careful what you pray for; you might get it! As John 14:13 says, whatever we ask in Jesus’ name is what we get.

There are only two motives for prayer: fear and hope. If you pray and live in fear, you will live a lie, deny God, and become destructive.

Consider Israel’s repeated cry for a king: “We want to be like every other nation!” they relentlessly cried. God said, “Fine, here you go.” God answered their prayer by giving them exactly the type of leader they requested, but it certainly wasn’t in their best interest.

How about you? Is what you’re asking for in your best interest?

We must learn to be flexible in our asking. We must be honest and humble about our limitations. We may not know what is best for us, but God knows. We need to be less obstinate concerning our prayer requests and more trusting that God may have a different and often better path or some creative means to accomplish His will in our lives. So, pray, and be specific, but always end your prayers with an obedient heart.

Sometimes we pray for things we are not fully prepared for. Some ask God to show a sign if something or someone is good or bad for us. Funnily, in so many ways and times, God may have given us plenty of signs before we even prayed that prayer, yet we don’t fully obey. We continue to stubbornly badger God for that thing until He does the same thing He did with the Israelites: “This is what you want, right? Have it.” Unfortunately, only then do some of us realize that we either didn’t know what we wanted and asked for or we didn’t fully understand the impact it may have on us.

God answers prayer; let there be no doubt about that. God responds to what His people ask of Him. So, before you start praying about an issue, be sure that’s what you want before you ask the Lord for it.

PRAYER: Lord, may your perfect will always be done in my life, even when I don’t ask for the right thing, let Romans 8:28 be a reality in my life in Jesus’ name, amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/womenoflight/episodes/ASK-FOR-THE-RIGHT-THING-e300p0m

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