5 THINGS YOU SHOULD ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU

Pastor Rick Jackson

People sometimes say they don't know if they should pray for themselves. They have no problem praying for others but, for some, praying for themselves seems selfish. We are encouraged to pray for others in the Scriptures, but we are also encouraged to pray for ourselves. Let me give you 5 personal prayer requests for every Christian. We should pray:

I. ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU FAITH TO ACCEPT WHATEVER HE DESIGNS

We do not live accidentally.

Jeremiah 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

God knows His plan- so He sometimes interrupts or changes ours!

-Some birds were trying to build a nest in a brush pile. I kept destroying it. They didn't understand but I knew the brush pile was going to be burned.

-The building that is now our fellowship hall was on sale for $70K, we offered $50K and were turned down flat. A few years later we got it for around $30K.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We do NOT live outside God's care!

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

II. ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU A LIFE YIELDED TO HIM [Rm. 6:13]

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

D.L. Moody once heard a man say, The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully surrendered to Him." Moody said, "By God's grace I will be that man!" Close to the end of his life Moody is reported to have remarked, "The world STILL has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully surrendered to Him."

We might think the Apostle Paul was that man, but Paul said under Divine inspiration, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

Two of the greatest abilities a person can have is availability and dependability!

III. ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU A GRATEFUL HEART [Rm. 1:21]

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Ps. 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Someone has said, "You don't miss water 'til the well runs dry." Let us not be that way.

IV. ASK GOD TO HELP YOU TO BE PLEASING TO HIM [2 Corinthians 5:9]

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

V. ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU GRACE ENOUGH TO BE KIND [1 Corinthians 13:4, Ephesians 4:32]

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.