If you missed part 1 of this teaching, you can find that post here! ASK and Receive That Your Joy May Be Full, Pt 1 – Come Away Moments
Have you ever noticed whenever Jesus taught about “asking” in prayer, the word “receive” was not too far behind?
Matthew 21:22 AMPC- “And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.”
Mark 11:24 – “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
James also mentions “receiving” in his words of instruction on asking for things in prayer. James 1:6-7 says, “Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord.”
The word “receive” comes from the Greek word, “lambánō,” which means “to actively TAKE hold of, aggressively accepting what is available (offered)”, “accept with initiative inserting the volition of the receiver.”
When we give someone a gift we extend the gift out to them and then in turn, they will reach out and TAKE possession of it.
Let’s look at an example of receiving a gift in the natural to help us understand this important spiritual concept!
Suppose you are in a financial crisis and see no way out in the natural. An uncle that you admire and respect as a trustworthy man calls you out of the blue. During the conversation you mention that you are under great financial pressure.
Your uncle then tells you that he had felt led by the Lord to call, and now he understands why. He tells you that he desires to give you a portion of your inheritance as you are listed as a beneficiary in his will. He shares with you how much he wants to send you, and it is more than needed to cover your debt.
At this point, he has offered the gift to you and now he waits for your response…
What would be your reaction? If you’re like me, even though you have not seen the money nor laid your hands on one red cent of it, you would be jumping up and down REJOICING because someone you trust has just GIVEN YOU THEIR WORD that your money crisis is over! You would excitedly say “Thank you…yes, yes, I receive your gift!”
You would RECEIVE the gift by BELIEVING that what your uncle told you was true and accepting what he offered without doubt. Then you would joyously wait, fully EXPECTING the money to show up just as your uncle said it would.
Spiritually speaking, because God is a spirit and operates in the spirit realm, His gifts come to us in the spiritual form of POWER that will be used to bring forth the manifestation of our prayer in this natural realm.
Check out these verses showing that what we are receiving is the unseen POWER of God!
Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ, for it is the POWER of God at work, saving everyone who BELIEVES…”
2 Peter 1:3 “His divine POWER has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Hebrews 11:11- “By faith Sarah (Abraham’s wife) herself received POWER to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”
Deuteronomy 8:18- “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who GIVES YOU the POWER to get wealth, that he may confirm His covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
We must therefore believe WHEN WE PRAY, that God has granted our request and that He has authorized His spiritual power for its fulfillment.
When we become assured by God that He desires to grant us our petition, we can reach out boldly and take His provision by BELIEVING that what He has personally promised to us WILL come to pass!
Our ability to rejoice and praise God BEFORE we see the manifestation will be one of the proofs that we have believed what God has told us.
“Let us come BOLDLY before the throne of grace to RECEIVE mercy and grace in the time of need” “And this is the CONFIDENCE we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we HAVE the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 5:14-15
One of my favorite examples of receiving in the Bible is where the woman with the issue of blood TOOK THE POWER needed for her healing as Jesus was passing through her town. Her story is found in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8.
Mark 5:25 NASB – “A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse– after HEARING about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, ‘If I just touch His garments, I WILL get well.’ Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the POWER proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched My garments?’ And His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ And He looked around to see the woman WHO HAD DONE THIS. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.
My favorite line in this NASB translation is when Jesus “looked around to see who had DONE THIS.” (Vs. 32). Done what??
He was looking for the one person who TOOK power out of Him amongst a THRONG of people touching Him.
This woman should be the poster child for how to receive from God!
1)She HEARD the news around town that those pursuing to touch the clothes of Jesus were being made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14:36)
2)She MEDITATED, SAYING this good news to herself repeatedly until she was FULLY PERSUADED and could ENVISION Jesus healing her as she touched His clothes.
3) Her belief compelled her to ACT on her faith, even though she was considered unclean in her condition. She was in danger of being trampled by the crowd and even punished for being in close contact with people.
It must have been terrifying to get out in a crowd after 12 years, having to push her way to Jesus just to touch the fringe of His garment. Yet this woman did it anyway because she was CONVINCED the healing power of Jesus would flow into her body!
4)And what was the result of her “spiritual” touch? Her fully persuaded faith converged with the power of God and she was completely healed of her affliction! She caught the notice of Jesus who stopped and began looking around when He felt that power had been drawn out of His body.
After finding the woman, He made sure everyone in the crowd knew she was healed AND cleansed of her infirmity. He declared peace over her body and soul. After 12 years of shame, can’t you just imagine her running home with her head held high declaring what Jesus had done for her!
This is an example of a miracle which can absolutely happen, but most times there will be a period of TIME between our asking in prayer and experiencing the manifestation in the natural.
In the game of football, the quarterback throws the football to the RECEIVER who LAYS HOLD of the ball and proceeds to run toward the end zone for the touchdown.
Next time we will begin learning what happens in this waiting period as we run towards the end zone!
1 Timothy 6:12 – “So fight with faith for the winner’s prize! LAY YOUR HANDS upon eternal life, to which you were called and about which you made the good confession before the multitude of witnesses!”
Enjoy this song speaking of our resolve “on the way” to our miracle!