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Do you ever find yourself begging God for something? Why is that? And how can you and I overcome this mentality? A WRONG PICTURE OF GOD Do you ever find yourself begging God for something? That could be begging for anything really. It could be begging for this new job, or it could be begging for healing for ourselves or somebody that we love, or could be begging for money because we’re broke. It could be anything really. During a time of incredible stress, I found myself begging God to hear me, begging him to be with me, even begging him to love me. Yes, begging God, the one who created me and everyone else, begging him to take care of me. Begging as if he were some kind of sick being that looked at me and said “Beg me a little bit more. You’re almost there but not quite.” When I recognized this horribly wrong image of God underneath my prayer, I had to stop and get myself re-aligned with truth! What a difference that made! Out of that experience came the words of the song I wrote called, This Much I Know. WHAT IS AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF GOD’S HEART TOWARD US? Jesus came to show us the Father and had quite a bit to say about His heart towards us. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Then He says, “or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?” He also said in John 16:23–24 in the Message version, “This is what I want you to do. Ask the Father for whatever it is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and He’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks.“ Now that’s an amazing promise! Yes, God is the Most High and is to be revered. At the same time, He’s our loving, heavenly Father who delights in us, loves us enough to correct us and who welcomes us to be at home with Him. Think about the kids in your neighborhood. If they came barging through your front door, opened your fridge, made some sandwiches then sat down on the couch in your den, that would be weird, right! However, your own kids are most welcome to do just that! Why? Because they are your kids. There’s a different relationship there. They are at home with you, and you are at home with them. As redeemed children of God, that’s like it is with us and the Father. Yes, we always need to show Him respect and honor Him but also know that He wants us to be at home with Him and He with us. NOT A GENIE IN THE BOTTLE This relationship is not to be confused with the genie in the bottle mentality. You rub the lantern until the genie pops out and then the genie gives you three wishes. And I think sometimes I have been guilty of the genie mentality. But remember, the verse in John 16 says, “Ask in My name, according to My will.” HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO ASK? So how do we know what His will is? I think to know that, we must spend time with Him, learn more about Him through his word. What do you think that looks like? I think that might look like a dedicated time of the day to spend some time praising, reading the word of God and praying. Dedicated. Something specific and set aside. Often times, we wake up in the morning and we’re already running late, and we have to hit the shower and perhaps get the kids up and get them fed and off to school And then we have to hit the traffic and try to reach the office or wherever it is that you’re working usually, barely on time. You get through the day, and you head home exhausted, and you might...