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Amazingly, this divine key is already in our hands. Indeed, it’s been in our hands from the very beginning. The problem is, while we talk a lot about it, most of us haven’t yet discovered its true power. To illustrate what I mean, let me tell you a story.
Alexander the Great was a mighty conqueror and king, and although he lived long before the time of Christ (around 300 B.C.), his reputation still lives on today. As history tells us, he conquered all of the “then known world.” In fact, it is told, that when he reached Asia, he realized there were no more countries to conquer, and he actually wept.
Besides being a great conqueror, he was also a compassionate ruler. Every year he set aside one day that he called “compassionate day.”
As the story goes, on this special day of the year, he randomly se- lected different people across his kingdom whom he allowed to come and make special requests. They could ask for whatever they wanted or needed. And he would grant their requests. Most people asked for food, clothes, money for medicine, and so on. However, one year, there was a man who dared to ask for more! Speaking through the king’s spokesman, this man shared his request. “Can you please tell the king that I want a large palace?”
But before he could continue, the king’s spokesman inter- rupted him with irritation. “What impertinence! Don’t you see all these people asking for food and medicine? How dare you to think that you can ask the king for a palace!”
But the man continued earnestly, “I want the palace to include a large banquet hall where I can host a celebration, because I have lots of friends. And I want the palace to be well furnished, and I want a special meal prepared.”
But the man continued earnestly, “I want the palace to include a large banquet hall where I can host a celebration, because I have lots of friends. And I want the palace to be well furnished, and I want a special meal prepared.”
But the spokesman stopped him again, as he was get- ting more angry. “I will not ask the king for this! This is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard!”
At this point, King Alexander saw the commotion. “What does the man desire?” he inquired of his spokesman.
The spokesman reluctantly turned toward the king and came forward, whispering in low tones that only the king could hear. “King, I’m afraid to tell you this. I can’t believe how unreasonable this man is, and I know you will be upset. But he’s asking for a palace. Not only does he have the audacity to ask for a palace, but he’s asking that you’d make a large banquet hall in this palace, because he evidently has lots of friends. And he wants the whole thing to be fully furnished and supplied with food. I’m so sorry. I know this is such an unreasonable request, and I tried to get him to ask for something more reasonable, but he persisted.”
King Alexander paused for a moment, then with a large smile on his face, he turned toward the petitioner and enthusiastically replied, “Request granted!”
The spokesman looked at the king in astonishment. “How can you grant such an outrageous request?” he asked in shock.
The king replied, smiling, “You see, all these people are asking for food, for medicine, and for mundane things. They think that’s the only thing I can give. But they don’t need a king to give them these things. Anyone with extra resources could do these things for them. But this man . . . THIS MAN . . . He’s the first man that’s really made me feel like the king I am. For only I can grant such a request!”
The Bible tells us, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20; emphasis added). Why do we so often settle for superficial blessings when we serve the King of the universe? Why do we settle for living life three inches below the water-line, barely surviving spiritually, when God is longing to give us so much more?
We are living in the last days of earth’s history, and if the gospel is going to go to all the world and Jesus is going to return, things can’t continue as they have been any longer. We need a much deeper spiritual experience than we have yet imagined possible. We need a much deeper prayer life. We need a much deeper faith in God’s Word. The reality is that we have settled for being spiritual dwarfs when God is calling us, modern-day Israel, to become spiritual giants standing in the gap, interceding for the lost.
Unfortunately, Satan knows the power that there is in God’s Word. He knows the power that there is when we pray. In fact, he knows better than most Christians the unlimited spiritual possibilities that are within our grasp if we look to God in faith. Because of this, he will do anything he can to keep us from genuine faith-filled prayer! At the sound of fervent prayer, we are told, “Satan’s whole host trembles.” They tremble because they know they will suffer loss.
Because of Satan’s hatred for God’s Word and true earnest prayer, he’s created a maze of deceptions to counter God’s work, and he’s been all too successful. I will take some time in this book to talk about some of these subtle deceptions creeping into modern-day Christianity and how we can avoid them. I will also talk about what it means to have true faith, and how we can become so firmly grounded in God’s Word that no storms can blow us over; and how we can pray with bold confidence knowing that God is hearing and will answer our prayers.
My fervent prayer is that this book will launch you on the most incredible journey you’ve ever taken—into the endless frontier of spiritual possibilities that God has waiting for you. I encourage you to keep your Bible near so you can look up the verses I reference. His Word will be our foundation, launching pad, and the fuel with which we move forward in successful prayer and ministry. As I’m sure you will soon discover, God is just longing to pour out His Spirit and just longing to do so much more in your life than you’ve ever imagined possible for His glory. And the key that opens the door to all these possibilities is within your grasp! It is prayer, faith-filled earnest prayer, for we are told, “Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish.”
So with Bible in hand, let the journey upon our knees begin—the journey of faith—as we humbly and audaciously dare to ask God for more!
At this point, King Alexander saw the commotion. “What does the man desire?” he inquired of his spokesman.
The spokesman reluctantly turned toward the king and came forward, whispering in low tones that only the king could hear. “King, I’m afraid to tell you this. I can’t believe how unreasonable this man is, and I know you will be upset. But he’s asking for a palace. Not only does he have the audacity to ask for a palace, but he’s asking that you’d make a large banquet hall in this palace, because he evidently has lots of friends. And he wants the whole thing to be fully furnished and supplied with food. I’m so sorry. I know this is such an unreasonable request, and I tried to get him to ask for something more reasonable, but he persisted.”
King Alexander paused for a moment, then with a large smile on his face, he turned toward the petitioner and enthusiastically replied, “Request granted!”
The spokesman looked at the king in astonishment. “How can you grant such an outrageous request?” he asked in shock.
The king replied, smiling, “You see, all these people are asking for food, for medicine, and for mundane things. They think that’s the only thing I can give. But they don’t need a king to give them these things. Anyone with extra resources could do these things for them. But this man . . . THIS MAN . . . He’s the first man that’s really made me feel like the king I am. For only I can grant such a request!”
The Bible tells us, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20; emphasis added). Why do we so often settle for superficial blessings when we serve the King of the universe? Why do we settle for living life three inches below the water-line, barely surviving spiritually, when God is longing to give us so much more?
We are living in the last days of earth’s history, and if the gospel is going to go to all the world and Jesus is going to return, things can’t continue as they have been any longer. We need a much deeper spiritual experience than we have yet imagined possible. We need a much deeper prayer life. We need a much deeper faith in God’s Word. The reality is that we have settled for being spiritual dwarfs when God is calling us, modern-day Israel, to become spiritual giants standing in the gap, interceding for the lost.
Unfortunately, Satan knows the power that there is in God’s Word. He knows the power that there is when we pray. In fact, he knows better than most Christians the unlimited spiritual possibilities that are within our grasp if we look to God in faith. Because of this, he will do anything he can to keep us from genuine faith-filled prayer! At the sound of fervent prayer, we are told, “Satan’s whole host trembles.” They tremble because they know they will suffer loss.
Because of Satan’s hatred for God’s Word and true earnest prayer, he’s created a maze of deceptions to counter God’s work, and he’s been all too successful. I will take some time in this book to talk about some of these subtle deceptions creeping into modern-day Christianity and how we can avoid them. I will also talk about what it means to have true faith, and how we can become so firmly grounded in God’s Word that no storms can blow us over; and how we can pray with bold confidence knowing that God is hearing and will answer our prayers.
My fervent prayer is that this book will launch you on the most incredible journey you’ve ever taken—into the endless frontier of spiritual possibilities that God has waiting for you. I encourage you to keep your Bible near so you can look up the verses I reference. His Word will be our foundation, launching pad, and the fuel with which we move forward in successful prayer and ministry. As I’m sure you will soon discover, God is just longing to pour out His Spirit and just longing to do so much more in your life than you’ve ever imagined possible for His glory. And the key that opens the door to all these possibilities is within your grasp! It is prayer, faith-filled earnest prayer, for we are told, “Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish.”
So with Bible in hand, let the journey upon our knees begin—the journey of faith—as we humbly and audaciously dare to ask God for more!
To learn more, visit: www.daringtoaskformore.com
[Note: This book was released in October of 2014. It is available online, from Pacific Press Publishing Association or at your local ABC.]
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