Have you every thought about that? What is it that you want from God? What do you want Him to do in you, for you, and through you? Three times in my #LentChallenge reading this week Jesus asked questions that have me thinking and rethinking about what I want from God.
1.What do you want me to do for you?
In Luke 18:38 Jesus encounters a man born blind who calls out to Jesus for mercy.
“Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38)
Then Jesus asked the man,
What do you want me to do for you? (Luke 18:41)
Wasn’t it obvious? The man was blind. He wanted to see. Why would Jesus have asked him such a ridiculously obvious question?
2.What do you want?
In John 1 some disciples of John the Baptist encounter Jesus, their Messiah. When John saw Jesus passing by he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)
Notice what happened next,
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” (John 1:37-38)
3. Do you want to get well?
In John 5 Jesus encounters a man who was an invalid for 38 years. He was hanging out at the Sheep Gate pool. If he could only get into the pool he could be healed. But no one helped him… until he met Jesus.
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6)
What God wants from us
Why did Jesus ask:
What do you want me to do for you?
What do you want?
Do you want to get well?
Jesus didn’t force His way into their lives. And He won’t force His way into ours. He asked the questions to elicit faith. Jesus wants to SEE faith.
Why pray? Doesn’t God already know what we need before we ask (Matt 6:8)? Yes! In Matt 6 Jesus teaches that we should not babble on and on. The length of prayer is not relevant. It’s the object of our faith in prayer that’s key.
Prayer demonstrates that we believe and trust God. That’s what He wants.
What do you want from God?
Read these verses carefully,
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
The verbs in v. 7 are participles and should be read “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep knocking.” God wants us to spend time developing these habits.
Are you ASKING?
Are you SEEKING?
Are you KNOCKING?
Jesus wants you to tell Him what you want. Not like a genie in a bottle. Not with selfish motives. But He wants to know what you want Him to do in and through you.
What are you waiting for, go tell Him!
QUESTION: What do you want Jesus to do for you?