VARIOUS times I have heard the word ‘pray’ today. In fact, this week’s lesson for our kids in Bible study happens to be learning to pray (this was planned out in their curriculum way ahead), so the fact it’s falling in a time that this word is coming up in the Spirit is NO coincidence. In fact, they will be learning to pray the Lord’s prayer as well (Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).
Some words in Hebrew that mean pray: beseech thee, ask, desire, seek, be grieved, intreat, make supplication, find, reach, run, intercede, ponder
These are just a few of many. However, some of these really stand out such as: ASK, SEEK, and FIND. Jesus said this.
Luke 11:9 And I tell you, ASK, and it will be given to you; SEEK, and you will FIND; knock, and it will be opened to you.
About a week ago this same scripture came up when teaching our kids. The Lord had me teach it in such a way that was so simple but so profound as well. He said through me, “Imagine you’re knocking on someone’s door and they haven’t answered yet, but you know they’re there and YOU MUST SEE them. What would you do? Keep knocking until they answer.”
Before I go further on this, keep in mind:
2 You DESIRE (pray)but do not have, so you kill. You COVET but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask (pray to) God. 3 When you ask (pray), you do not receive, because you ask (pray) with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
There’s a key part here in praying, or before you go ‘knocking’ on the door to ‘see’ God—make sure the motive is for His will, what the Spirit of the Lord truly wants. The prayer/desire may be spoken, BUT it’s not God’s desire, so it kills or also quenches what God may be trying to do FOR HIS GLORY TO BRING LIFE (life not only to you, but to many others). Or there may be coveting/lust for something which is led more so in the flesh and not in the Spirit—for one’s own gain/greed/beauty (make oneself ‘look’ good). Paul warned not to go into prayer with these motives in your heart for what you are asking God for. This is exactly why Jesus told us to ask for His will to be done. If you see in James 4 verse 1, it says that DESIRES within people, not truly aligned with God, are what cause the fights and dissentions—the coveting. He also referenced people who walk in this way as being adulterous (James 4:4-6). And, what’s Paul’s answer from the Lord on how to deal with this? SUBMIT (James 4:7).
Once you truly submit to God, only then, do you go to ask, seek, and then find. If we are to ‘follow’ Jesus, then we’re to do what He did, and what WAS that exactly?
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming OBEDIENT to death– EVEN death on a cross!
To submit, is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit of God. We must first, hear clearly what the Lord tells us to do in all things. And as we do that, THEN we ask, we seek, and then we find. THEN, the door is opened.
I see many in a place of ‘knocking’ BUT the problem is, they haven’t truly submitted to God and His will. They’re still lusting/coveting after things God doesn’t want for them nor for others that they’re connected to. They’re desiring, yet with murder in their hearts, quenching the Spirit of God, treating prophecies with contempt/scorn/disdain/disrespect, even when testing them. Did you know to test something is not only to examine it or look for proof? BUT it also means to burn, tempt, or be under trial. BUT WHO’S doing the examining (Luke 23:1-25)?
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
It’s interesting, twice both leaders said he was innocent before the priests (religious authorities at the time), and Herod didn’t see any reason to PUT HIM TO DEATH, but said he’d flog him (or also known as beat Him), BUT that wasn’t enough for those that believed they were doing God a favor, so to say. THEY wanted Him dead, THEY had desire to kill because of their motives. They also posed false accusations causing even the leaders and his soldiers to mock Him (caused others to take part in the ending of Life, or quenching of the Spirit—see: Luke 23:10-11). They were bothered by what Christ was teaching, and not them instead (they were who usually taught among them at that time). They demanded His life.
What is the Lord having me get at here? God allows for His own that walk and live by the Spirit to be beaten (Isa. 53:10), and God did allow for the death of His Son on the cross, BUT He used those that went fully against Him the most (those that claimed to follow God), to really set the sentence by their own wicked motives. In the end, God got glorified out of it, and the religious got judged, along with all the others. The reason for their judgement—they shed blood for their own wicked motives. They didn’t truly want Life to continue working in others, but wanted others to think life came from them—mankind. They wanted what was innocent to be destroyed completely. They even came to the point of agreeing that the guilty could be freed instead! They instead sided with THE MURDERER (John 8:44)—the enemy of God.
I say to you this day, pray for the Lord to submit you under His Holy Spirit’s lead entirely—no matter what it takes, even to death. If that’s what glorifies Him, so be it. However, for those that continue to pray with motives of quenching the Spirit of Life in what God is doing, for your own gain—woe to you. Your reward has already been given, your own glory for a temporal time.
Submit first in obedience, ask what He wants, seek what He wants, AND then you’ll find what you’re looking for—real Life! DO NOT make the mistake of handing over the innocent out of self-interest (Matt. 27:18). Again, I saw many in prayer awhile back with blood on them, BUT it wasn’t the blood of Christ, but of the innocent! They have sided with the murderer. Learn to be led and pray what God wants in this hour and onward. For this is a critical time…
4 This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek me and live;
See also: Matt. 6:5-15; Luke 11:2-4; John 17; James 5:1-16; Rom. 8:26; 1Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18
See also Holy Spirit Teaching: Banner of Submissiveness