“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”. – James 1:5-8
LIGHT FOR NOW: Your view of God that is not founded in Christ will give you a bipolar view of God.
Observe Acts 1:8 where the word “receive” was equally used; Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. We said last time that the phrase “you shall receive” means “to take from or take advantage of”. What was Jesus referring to? Luke lays credence to this in Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. The context was well explained. Notice the action “…they began to speak”; thus, the receiving action was demonstrated by speaking – utterance. This implies that there was an activity involved in receiving.
It is clear that Luke in Acts 2:4 was referring to utterance, that is, their action or their receiving was by speaking in tongues. When Jesus said in Acts 1 that “ye shall receive power…” he was referring to believers taking from or taking advantage of the power of God resident in them. Hence, Paul taught believers in Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”. Notice, “according to the power that walketh in us”; so, the power is at work in us; hence, receiving in prayer is taking from the already resident power of God in you. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Know God by his word.
CONFESSION: I actually participate in receiving when I ask in prayer. The power of God is at work in me and towards me. I have utterance; I ask boldly, and I receive, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
QUOTE: When you are double-minded about God’s character, you will waver in the place of prayer.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ACTS CHAPTER 2; EVENING: ACTS CHAPTER 3
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 