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God has shown me that the unlimited power and blessing of His Kingdom are available to us in this life, but we must use our God-given ability to receive these good things. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). I received this message on using one's ability to receive the good things of the kingdom of God over twenty-eight years ago, and it has been in my spirit ever since. A few years ago, I preached a series of messages to our church on “Ability to Receive”. This ebook was produced from those messages. When I use the word - ABILITY - I want you to keep this definition in mind:
I have chosen the word ABILITY because each letter of the word is a key to developing proficiency in prayer. A – Ask
B - Believe I - Imagine L - Love I - Invest T - Trust Y - Yield The only thing that Jesus’ disciples ever asked him to teach them was how to pray. No matter how long you have been praying, if you are not receiving the good things of God, it’s because you have not yet developed proficiency in your prayer life. In this ebook we will deal with the “A” for asking. By the end of this ebook you will acquire proficiency in the activity of asking and receiving answers to prayers.
God wants to give you the good things in life that you desire. Several years after the death of my first wife I desired to marry again. I was at an outdoor prayer meeting with a large group of people; we all formed a circle and held hands. I was holding hands with a lady and all of a sudden her hand felt very cold. It was freezing! I let go of her hand and as soon as I did a young lady approached the prayer circle. She took hold of my hand and the other lady's hand and the prayer circle was once again completed. The moment this young lady took hold of my hand I felt heat coming from her hand. It was hot! I felt warm all over. As soon as the preacher who was praying said Amen, I turned around and faced her. I don’t remember what I said, but I was very aggressive and said something like, “What’s your name?” I looked at her finger, “Are you married?” I was all over her, and she was backing off. “Are you a preacher?" she asked. “Yes!” I replied. I asked her for a date, right on the spot. In somewhat of a daze, she agreed! I couldn’t believe it! I went home still in an aggressive state and prayed, “God, I want her for my wife.” I didn’t know anything about her but I knew that something inside of me said, “This is the one.” I can’t explain how I knew but I knew.
Do you know when God speaks to you? Psalms 84:11 “For the Lord God is the sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” That scripture became something that I held onto. As a matter of fact, that scripture was the scripture on the front of our wedding invitation. Now why am I telling you this story? Because I believe the same God who gave me my wife will also give you the desires of your heart. Do you know that? God will not withhold anything good from you. He’s just looking to see if you are walking uprightly. I want you to get this message deep inside of you. If you need something good, ask God for it. He will not withhold it from you if you will only walk uprightly. And so, I held on to that Scripture; “For the Lord God is the sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” One year later the young lady became my wife. God confirmed that it was He indeed who gave me this good thing. At the wedding reception, my friend Cliff, who was the best man, was asked to give a toast. He read Proverbs 18:22, which says, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Well, without knowing anything about God's promise to me, this was his toast. He said, "The Bible says, that if you find a wife you find a good thing and receive favor from the Lord." He then lifted up the cup and said, "Here’s to Elder Darling's good thing." He had confirmed the promise that God had given me a good thing. God wants to give His people the good things of His kingdom and He has given us His divine ability to receive them. Now I am well aware that bad things are part of this life too. I am no stranger to the sufferings of humanity. In 1987, my first wife died at the age of forty-four from breast cancer. The pain she endured and the agony I experienced are beyond my ability to convey to you. On September 11, 2001, our 28-year-old daughter, who worked on the 92nd floor of World Trade Center Building-One, met a horrible death at the hands of terrorists as they crashed the plane right in the area where she was located. Our family is still recovering from this shocking tragedy. In addition to the death of loved ones, I have experienced severe financial losses that not only wiped out my life savings, but also left me deeply in debt. I have had severe personal problems that almost took my life on several occasions. As I write this, I am on the national list for a double lung transplant due to a chronic lung condition known as Sarcodosis.
DESPITE ALL THESE TRAGEDIES AND PAIN,
Philippians 4:12-13 12I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Psalms 27:12-13 13I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. This series of seven ebooks is your instruction manual on how to pray and receive the good things of the Kingdom of God. Each letter of the word A B I L I T Y is a key to developing proficiency in prayer. Each book covers one letter. Learn the secrets of how to use your divine ability to receive all the good things of the Kingdom of God. |
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