Ask and ye shall receive

Today's Jesus card reading is about receiving our heart's desires.

But unlike what Doreen Virtue (The author of these cards) used to teach about the laws of attraction and abundance, and what she today recognizes to be false, this teaching by Jesus is not about wishing on stars, or focussing really really hard to get what we want. Rather once again, it is about pure faith - the same unfettered faith that saves us.

This is a very confusing teaching, because this sentence on it's own makes it appear that we can have anything, and yet the Christian knows this simply is not so. Our flesh is never to get what it wants. for our commandment is to die to the flesh (Romans 8.13). So I pulled up the verses leading to today's card for reference:
"Do not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you." (Mark 11. 23-4)
So we need to really understand God's will before sending our requests. For me, if I really want something in a situation, but I sincerely do not know if it's what is best for me, or for any others who might be involved, I pray only that I act in accordance with God's will. To only pray to act in God's will is the greatest message in today's reading, because God will provide what we need. So let us default to asking what we need in times of not understanding what is best for us, knowing very well what we want, but also having an open enough mind to recognize that it might not actually be good for us. 

To ask in earnest faith is to submit to God's will - to say, "Let me live in accordance with your Will - Thy will be done", with confident trust, we do not need to ask God for what we wish - we don't even want to. 


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