Asking For Grace
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” —Isaiah 40:29 ESV
Jesus teaches us that if we ask, we will receive. He even goes so far as to say in John 15:16, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may [will] give it to you.” Is Jesus claiming to be an instant wish granter? Of course not! You can test the theory right now and ask in Jesus’ name that you would become a superhero with the ability to fly and you would not float an inch.
Still, some have taken Jesus’ words here to mean that God will give his followers whatever they want as long as they faithfully serve him. Unfortunately, this is the romantic message of humans, proclaimed often by pastors hungry for power, wealth, and fame. There’s no indicator in the scriptures that God just gives his people whatever they want.
I also don’t think most prosperity gospel proponents see this argument so bluntly. In the worst-case scenario, they might. We can probably learn from their faith in God’s blessings and favor in our lives. There’s no point in living in lack when we serve a generous God!
The truth is that sometimes God does bless his people radically and irrationally. I have been the recipient of many such blessings. I have also been on the side of losing things radically and (in my view at the time) irrationally. I don’t understand how God gives and takes away the blessings in our lives. That’s a discussion for the book of Job! I do know God gives two things without limit: his spirit (John 3:34) and grace (John 1:16).
I don’t want to criticize the prosperity teachings and make a case that God is stingy. He’s not. But it’s not for me to discern what kind of earthly blessings I deserve from God. Focusing my attention on the self-gratifying things God can give me completely misses the point of the gospel.
No external reality can heal our hearts. That is why God is generous in his decision to withhold the material things we want. He knows that a new car or even just some new shoes will only temporarily make us happy. He knows that the only thing that can bring us true life is the power of his presence and the provision of his grace.
God could give us all the wealth we ever wanted, but that is too small a thing for him. Instead, God supplies abundantly more than we need in the areas where we are most desperate and least capable. God gives and takes away the earthly things, and it hardly matters at all. When we live with him in glory, we won’t be thinking about our dream BMW! However, the work God does in our inner being will last forever.
What are you asking for, if at all, today? God is giving grace and strength to all who ask today. This is a promise! Will you ask God for an increase of strength? Set aside the material things you think you need for a moment and call on God for more of his presence in your life. Long for the eternal reward—the gift of God in your life. Desire that which only comes from God and lead a life dependent on his provision of grace.
