A Year For Holy Optimism

Intro: I am here to encourage you to ask largely of God in 2023.

I. SOLOMON’S OPPORTUNITY

In 1 Kings 3:5 God gave Solomon a opportunity anyone would like to have. First Kings 3:5 says, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’”i How would you answer that question? The answer Solomon gave set the course of his life because God answered the request.

It's the kind of question that should be answered thoughtfully. As human beings, we are want-machines. We want power; we want things; we want favor with people; we want influence; we want friends; we want spouses and children; we want ministry. We could go on and on listing things that people want. One reason Solomon’s prayer was answered is that he asked for the right thing.

James corrected Christians in his congregation on two issues concerning prayer. First, he said in James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Their lack of prayer was a problem: their failure to ask. Notice in 1 Kings 3:5 God said to Solomon, “Ask. . . .” God is saying to you and me, “Ask.”

Many Christians only see prayer as a religious duty. There is some truth in that because the Bible often commands us to pray. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “Pray without ceasing.” The NLT says, “Keep on praying.” Develop a prayer routine and stick to it. “Keep on praying.” Do you have a disciplined, consistent devotional time in your daily routine: a specific time each day when you set aside distractions and talk with God? Now is a great time to commit yourself to that if that has not been a part of your daily routine.

The NIV translates that verse, “Pray continually.” One way we pray continually is to talk with God throughout the day as we work, as we eat, as we play. Life is full of little problems that need to be solved, and God wants to help with those. You’re not on your own. The Holy Spirit has come to empower you for this life and prepare you for the life to come. If you’re a student, ask God to help you learn the material for the test. If you’re a mechanic, ask God to show you what’s wrong with the car and how to fix it. If you’re a mother, ask God to guide you in the training of your children.

If we live in that kind of ongoing communion with God, we will manage the stress of life much better.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, [Life is full of stressful situations. How do we rise above the anxiety that those situations provoke? This passage tells us how to do that.] but in everything [not just the big things, but everything: That keeps us in prayer throughout the day] by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If we take it to the Lord in prayer, He will guide us through any and every challenge in life. What a friend we have in Jesus! As the old song says,

“O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.”ii

Our relationship with God naturally develops as we partner with Him in our daily activities.

Jesus makes a profound promise in Luke 11:9: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” The words ask, seek, and knock are in the Greek present tense which indicates continuous action. It is an ongoing stance of looking to God as your source. During the Word of Faith Movement some leaders told people to only ask God once. The assumption was that continuing the petition was an act of unbelief. But that thinking is inconsistent with this text. Paul asked three times that his thorn of the flesh be removed.iii God did not correct him for doing that. He simply told Paul why that particular prayer would not be answered. In was in Paul’s best interest for God to not remove the thorn. God is always pursuing our highest good. That’s why His answer to some of our prayers is no.

Sometimes when we have prayed about something, the Holy Spirit will tell us the petition has been granted and the answer is on the way. In those cases, we can transition from petition into thanksgiving. First John 5:14-15 talks about the confidence that comes when we receive this subjective confirmation. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” The key here is in the phrase “if we ask anything according to His will.” The Holy Spirit is affirming the petition to be according to the Father’s will. Therefore, the answer is on the way.iv