There are some promises so great in the Bible that they seem to good to be true. They are so great that we rationalize why they can’t be true or we try to rewrite them so that they can fit into our paradigm of a “God who is only willing to give us just enough to get by and is more concerned with our suffering than our joy.”

Here is one of those promises: “Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”

Now, this promise is more than a promise. It’s an invitation. Jesus had spent three years with his disciples and was now about to be crucified and then ascend to the Father. As part of His final instructions to His friends, His disciples, to us He exhorts us to simply, “remain, abide, dwell, reside, make yourself at home in Him and allow His Word to make its home in you.” When you do this, the sky is the limit! Ask for whatever you wish, my child and I will grant it.

Now once again, that seems a little lofty. Anything? What if I ask for something selfish, out of His will, sinful? Remember, this promise is an invitation. An invitation to be intimate with Jesus, an invitation to know the heart of the Father, an invitation to be transformed into His image, an invitation to have our hearts and desires aligned with the Father’s hearts and desires.

So go ahead and ask. Your desire to see that person healed initiated with the Father. The idea to write a book, was the Father’s idea. That passion to travel to foreign nations and preach the gospel is the Father’s passion. Even things that may seem selfish to you – buying a house, a car, going shopping for clothes, taking a vacation – is the Father’s heart wanting to bless and give good gifts to His children.

Why does the Father chooses to bless us, answer our prayers, grant our wishes? This brings glory to the Father. When we produce much fruit, we reflect the goodness, the generosity, the greatness of our God. We become walking billboards pointing others to Him.

So go ahead, accept His gracious invitation. Allow the word of God to make its home in you. Memorize It, actualize it, personalize it (okay that was a cheap plug for #THECHALLENGE2017 but that is how you abide in the word). Make your home in Jesus. Meditate on His goodness,
Invite Him into every aspect of your life. Abide in Him. Let His Word abide in you. Then ask. It’s an exhilarating ride!