On Friday night as I was laying in my bed, the Lord asked me a simple question, "Do you have the capacity to receive what you are asking for?" Sounds like a simple question, but it's not. It is a loaded question. It reminded me when Jesus asked the paralyzed man in John 5:6, “Do you truly long to be healed?” The man had been paralyzed for 38 years. He could have been healed a long time ago, but because he lacked the capacity (mindset, courage, faith etc.) he stayed bound in sickness.
There are many things I am asking God for in this season, but God wants to know do I really want what I am asking for. Do I have the courage, faith, and discipline to receive, maintain and cultivate what I am asking for. If it showed up at my doorstep right now, would I be ready for it. Would you be ready for what you are asking God for? The Word of God says, "And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. And even when you do ask you don’t get it because your whole aim is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure." (James 4:2-3).
Let me break this down. You can never receive the desires of your heart or things you want if you don't ask God for them. While God is a mind reader, He still expects and requires for us to ask Him for what I want. That is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened."
Now what happens when what you ask God for something and you don't ask amiss. You ask according to His Word and will, but you still don't receive it. Back to the original question God asked me, "Do you have the capacity to receive what you are asking for." Don't ask God to bless you with a million dollars if you don't have a plan or work ethic to keep it. The goal shouldn't be just to be a millionaire, it should be to take the million dollars and flip it to a ten million or a 100 million.
That is an example of asking God for something with the capacity to receive it. God wants to grant us the desires of our heart in this season and even go a step above it and "do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes" (Ephesians 3:20). How amazing is that! But He can only do it if we have the capacity to receive it!
So how do we know if have the capacity? Glad you asked!!!! See the list below.
1. Ask according to God's Word and specific will for you life. Make sure that what you are asking for in alignment with your specific God purpose and assignment. Pray and ask God, "Do you want me to have or this or is this a desire of my flesh?" Now, God does grant us some of the desires of our flesh if they are not against Word. So just ask God and make sure you God gives you a yes!
2. Don't ask amiss. Check the motive of your heart when you ask. Are you asking for a new car to make others jealous or envious of you or because you really want or need a new car? It is important that you ask God things from a pure heart.
3. Prepare for what you ask God for. Like the million dollar example, prepare for how you spend, save, and invest the money when you get. Prepare for you business if you are asking God for business. Prepare for a new house by looking for a new a house and packing your items in your old house. Show God you have the capacity to receive what you are asking for.
4. Prepare to wait! Develop the spirit of patience. The Word says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4). Sometimes God has to perfect our character for gives us the thing we are asking for. Many of you are asking God for marriage, but are you ready to be a wife or husband? Have you healed for past relationships? Are you financially, emotionally, and mentally ready to unite yourself with another or woman permanently
5. Always ask in faith and believe that you will receive what you ask God for! This should really be number one, because if you don't have faith then it's pointless to ask. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, "I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—believe that you have received it and it will be yours." Boldly ask God for what you what and boldly believe He will give you what you ask!
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