“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (NLT).” (2 Chron. 16:9 NLT)

The above passage tells us God is searching throughout the whole earth looking for those whose hearts are pure. Is that you?

God cannot find a single one who is not corrupt  

“God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (NLT). (Psalms 53:2-3 ESV)

We all fall short

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom. 3:23 ESV)

All creation is in sinful bondage

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Rom. 8:20-22 ESV)

We have redemption by His blood

“… and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith..” (Rom. 3:23-24 ESV)

We have access by faith

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2 ESV)

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col. 4:2-6 NIV)

The above passage lists things you need to do to win the lost for Christ. I’ve listed them below as bullet points.

·      Devote yourself to Prayer.

·      Be watchful.

·      Be thankful.

·      Pray that God will open a door for the message of Christ.

·      Pray that the message will be preached clearly as it should.

·      Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders.

·      Make the most of every opportunity.

·      Let your conversation always be full of grace.

·      Let your conversation be seasoned with salt.

And you do the above things for the following reason

And you do this “so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col. 4:6b NIV)

Therefore

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31 ESV) 

What does it mean to glorify God?

To glorify God means to acknowledge His greatness and give Him honor by praising and worshiping Him. He alone, deserves to be praised, honored and worshipped. To glorify God is to extol His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, grace, love, majesty, sovereignty, power, and omniscience!

Glory and dominion belong to Him forever and ever!

“Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11 ESV)

Let your good works bring glory to Him

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 ESV)

Glorify God in your body 

“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:20 ESV) 

Glorify His Name forever

“I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” (Psalm 86:12 ESV) 

therefore

“Ascribe to the Lord, O clans of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” (1 Cor. 16:28-29 ESV)

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Col. 4:2 ESV) 

The Bible has a lot to say about why you do or don’t receive what you ask God for when you pray.

How to NOT get twhat you ask God for

·      You don’t ask

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24 ESV) 

·      You don’t ask according to God’s will 

“…saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” (Jesus: Luke 22:42-44 

·      You ask selfishly

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:13 ESV) 

·      You don’t ask in faith

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8 ESV) 

·      You don’t persevere

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18 ESV) 

How to GET what you ask God for 

·      You ask boldly

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Heb. 4:16 NLT) 

·      You ask in Jesus’s Name

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14 ESV) 

·      You ask according to God’s will

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15 NIV)

·      You ask to bring glory to God

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 24:13 ESV)

·      You ask in faith believing

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matt. 21:22 ESV) 

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 ESV) 

·      You abide in Jesus and His Words

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 ESV)

·      You ask in agreement

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19 ESV)

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exo. 14:14 NIV)

Sometimes negative things happen that are out of our control to solve. And that’s where you have to have faith in God’s promises, be still, and fully trust God to bring you the help you need. A few years ago, Susan and I were traveling through a very large and unfamiliar Texas city while on our way to a convention. This was long before modern technology like GPS and cell phones were available. I had made a wrong turn and became hopelessly lost in a very dangerous part of the city; people with guns and knives were on the streets, and we could tell they were looking us over, and we felt like we were in definite danger. We drove around, trying to find a way out. But every turn we made seemed even worse. So, we prayed and asked God to protect us and lead us to safety. Suddenly, a police car appeared and pulled up alongside us. The officer rolled down his window to speak to us and asked us where we were going. We told him the name of our hotel, and he said, “Follow me.” And he led us to our hotel, a few miles away.

Praise God and don’t be afraid!

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalms 56:3-4 ESV)

Don’t lean on your own understanding!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5 ESV)

Trust and say, “You are my God!”

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” (Psalm 31:14-15 ESV)

Trust and rejoice in His steadfast love for you 

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5 ESV)

You will be blessed when you make the Lord your trust!

“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” (Psalm 40:4 ESV)

Therefore

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.” (Gen. 2:29-30 NIV)

God supplied for every need

The above passage says God gave us every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth, every fruit tree with seeds, and all animals, including everything that has breath and life in it. All this was there for us to control and take advantage of to meet our needs.

God gave us work to do

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Gen. 2:15 NIV)

You shall be blessed by the labor of your hands

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” (Psalm 128:2 ESV)

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 99:17 ESV)

Therefore

“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.” (Eccles. 2:24 ESV)

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27 NIV)

There is a lot said in this passage of Scripture about mankind

·      First, God makes mankind in His own image which is the image of God. He did not say this about animals.

·      Secondly, mankind means male and female. Today, there are some who say they are “transgender” or “gender neutral” among other gender designations, but God makes it abundantly clear that He only created two genders, male and female.

A man’s helper and companion

God created a woman so that man would have a helper and companion.

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Gen. 2:18 NIV)

Marriage turns a man and woman into one flesh

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

God has an order for things within a marriage

“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3 NIV)

A man must love his wife as Christ loved the church

Men are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph. 5:25 NIV)

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself…” (Eph. 5:33a NIV)

Women are to love, submit to, and respect their husbands

 “And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:4-5 NIV)

“... let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Eph. 5:33b NIV)

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” (Col. 3:18 NIV)

Men and women are equal in God’s sight

Because God has an order to things in marriage, people sometimes conclude  that men are more important, or better than, women. Nothing could be further from the truth! Yes, men and women have different rolls within marriage, but one isn’t better than the other.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

 “Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy…” (Psalm 78:41-42 NKJV) 

We do limit God! 

It’s hard to believe that we could actually limit God in any way, because He is, well, God! But according to Scripture, we can and do limit Him. How is this so? God has set some self-imposed rules (limits) in place that He follows. For instance, He limited himself when He became God in the flesh. Jesus said there were things the Father knew that He didn’t know, such as when He would return some day (Matt. 24:36). And Jesus could do very little in His own hometown because He was limited by their lack of faith (Mark 6:5). Yes, we can and do limit God in many ways!

We can limit God because of fear

God wanted the Hebrew children to enter in and live in the promise land. But, they “limited” His blessing for them out of fear of giants that were in that land! Therefore, they died in the wilderness instead of entering in and enjoying the promise land’s abundance!

The Bible says 365 times, “do not fear.” That covers every single day of the year! 

Stop limiting God! Trust Him for immeasurable things that He is able to do!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20 NIV) 

Jesus said…

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10a ESV)

Ask God to teach you to profit and to lead you the way you should go!

“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.” (Isa. 48:17

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isa. 58:11 ESV)

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Prov. 11:14 ESV)

I have a business friend who has made millions of dollars in numerous business ventures. He says one of the big reasons he is so successful is because he takes advantage of his business friendships. In fact, over the years he has amassed a vast contact list made up of many successful businesspeople he utilizes for advice and counsel. Before he completes any project or venture, he runs it past them for input. He said their valuable counsel has saved him numerous times from making serious mistakes.

Plans fail for lack of counsel

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Prov. 15:22 NIV)

Wise guidance brings victory

“For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Prov. 24:6 ESV)

A wise man listens to advice

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Prov. 12:15 ESV) 

You will gain wisdom for the future   

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Prov. 19:20-21 ESV)