Usually I have chosen a verse that I feel like God has layed on my heart for the new year by now, but I did not have a peace about it until about a week and a half ago.  Finally, it came to me – 1 Samuel 1:17, “Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant you your petition that you have asked of him.”

This comes from the story of Hannah when she was praying for a child.  Peninnah, her adversary had been making fun of her, provoking her, to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

Do you feel like the adversary is provoking you?   Do you feel like that you are wanting to give birth to something, but you feel like you are barren?

Well of course your adversary, the devil is roaming about seeking whom he may devour.  Well I do not give him permission.  He may NOT devour me.  “I shall go in peace; and my God shall grant me my petition that I have asked of him.”

But, you might be saying, “wait a minute, Brenda.  I have been asking, but I don’t seem to be receiving.  I know.  I feel the same way sometimes.  I asked God about that, and this is what He showed me.

In James 4:2,3 it says, “You have not because you ask not.(ok, but I ask & still don’t  get what I ask for)  You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.”  I think that this goes back to Matt. 6:33, in that we are to “seek God” first, then all these “things” will be added.  I think that I miss it in that I am not “asking for God first”.  I ask for the things first to consume them upon my lust, my greed, my need, my pleasure.  There is nothing wrong with asking for things, but not to the exclusion of God, not putting the things before God.

The Bible also says to ask, and it shall be given, and whatever you ask of God it shall be given.  Again this does not always seem to be true for me.  I realize His timing is not my timing, but I think there is more to it. 

The Word also says to ask anything in my name/nature (that’s a whole different blog) that the Father be glorified.  It also says to abide in Him and it shall be done to me, and ask, and I shall receive, that my joy may be full.  First John says, we receive because we keep His commandments.  I believe that is the commandment that says, “we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and secondly we shall love ourselves, and then we are to love our neighbor like we love ourselves.  If I obey this commandment then I will automatically be keeping the ten commandments in the Old Testament.

Then, we are to pray according to His will.  Well, according to I Thes. 5:18 the will of God is to give thanks in everything.  Mt. 21:22 says I am to ask in prayer, believing, than I shall receive.

Then, I John 5:15 says to “know” that He hears us.  I believe that knowing is “faith”.

Oh, yes, don’t expect anything if you are double minded, thinking one minute that God will, and then, the next minute you wonder if He will.

So, to wrap it up, I am going to go with peace in my heart knowing, by faith, that God has heard what I asked in prayer (& It is not a greedy prayer, but one that will bless me & others) so I am going to receive, because I am seeking Him first, and when I seek Him I shall find Him, and my joy will be full.  When I find Him I will automatically walk in love, because He is love.  I am abiding in Him, & He in me because I am one with Him.  When I pray I will give thanks to Him, because it is already done before I even finish asking, and I will stay focused on my answer.  I will see it done in my mind’s eye, and I will speak it so!  MY PETITION IS GRANTED!

Anyway, this is the way I see it, so this is what I am going to do.  I decree, and command it so!