05/12/2011 - RECIPE FOR BLESSINGS

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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

This verse provides the recipe for us to be supplied with whatever we lack in our life. However, since the direction is given by the Lord – and the Holy Spirit would never say anything contrary to the sheer reality – there is no way it can fail. That was how the Lord’s servants of yore, called heroes of faith, obtained the answer from Heaven for their needs (Hebrews 11).

In this passage from the book of James, the Bible speaks of wisdom – which, by analogy, we understand to be the pattern for any other petition we make – to attain divine healing, prosperity or any other blessing. Mind you, when you realize that you lack something and you learn from the Word of God that what you lack had been promised to you, then you can claim it. The verse speaks of someone who is in need of something; so, undoubtedly it includes you and everyone who learns what it means to ask for something in the biblical sense.

My people have already been extensively taught that the outcry the Scriptures refer to is more than what we understand as a request; it means to take possession, to ordain the blessing we need. When we have this understanding through the Word, the victory is being given to us – or has already been given.

Let\’s see how one of our brothers in biblical times obtained the victory: when God delivered the Amorites into the hands of Israel, Joshua, seeing that the day was coming to an end, prayed to the Almighty and then commanded the sun to halt over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Ajalon (Joshua 10:12). This is more than asking the Lord to do something. Because he was sure the Almighty would do what he was feeling in his heart, Joshua commanded that to be done. It is the way to proceed! Asking is more than begging for something the Lord has already declared to be ours. As the Bible states that we have already been healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:4-5), we can – and we must – command any disease to leave as soon as it starts to kick in.

There are plenty of blessings in what the Word reveals to be ours. It is not true that blessings will come according to the measure of our worthiness; our Father bestows them liberally provided we claim what is stated in the Scriptures with faith. If God were like men, He might negotiate His grace according to what we do for Him but as He is God – and therefore He is perfect and complete – He does no business with us. 

Act by faith and you will have what to claim for. The starting point is to understand through the Word that something is already yours. Besides, be aware that the Lord will never accuse you of your past, as long as you have abandoned sin. After all, no matter how long ago a wrongdoing was committed but if you do not confess your transgressions nor ask God’s forgiveness, that mistake will linger as if it had been made last night. Therefore, do comply with the conditions and rest assured that you will receive an answer. 

In Christ with love, 

R. R. Soares