‘What if…” A Change in Heart…

Matthew 7:7 ‘Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock, and the door will be opened unto you.’

What comes to your mind in a ‘what if?’ scenario? Judgment, accusations, pain, injury, fear? How many times do we play the ‘what if’ card – only to leave ourselves beaten, bruised, and lying in a heap of anxiety? This often comes to no achievement of anything but non-peace. The opposite of faith, and the word.

I was doing my Bible study homework and it was on prayer. Now as a firm believer in prayer – I tend to nod and amend a person on what I already know… Well – that’s just tacky of me. What do I know? And - with the knowledge I have, what do I practice?

Sometimes we need a slight, swift kick in the pants to remind us where we are with God. We can be full of the knowledge of God, faith, and peace. But do we live in that knowledge, or do we live in sight?

Today – I realized my problem. I have become lax in prayer life due to circumstances. Nothing bad – just a change routine. But that ‘lackness’ of putting up my shield of faith, has let all kinds of arrows come looming in at me. These arrows are the kind that have been hurled at me since I was a small girl. These arrows have nothing to do with my Father – these come from the father of lies.

And what do these arrows bring? This time –they bring more ‘what ifs’ then I want to count.

So going back to today’s lesson I was reading… What exactly was it talking about? 

Receiving.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it shall be GIVEN you

Seek and ye shall FIND.

Knock and the door shall be OPENED unto you.

For everyone who asks RECEVIES.

Everyone who seeks FINDS

And to everyone who knocks – the door will be OPENED unto him.

I love the NLT – it says… 'Keep on asking.'

Do you find yourself worrying about asking God for the same thing over and over? Well, rest assured. There is plenty of scripture telling us to keep on asking.

Luke 18:1-8, Mark 11:24, John 15:7, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9-13

The Lord has been telling me about receiving. He just wants me to receive – and I want to think it comes with a cost – but I’m wrong. Do you hear me on this? It is so hard to think God may just give us something… or it is for me at least.

Let’s go back to this ‘what-if’ game. What is really going on? God wants me to play ‘what-if’ with Him. But it looks a little different…

If I play ‘what-if’ with confidence, then I’m not looking at ‘what-if’ the bottom drops out… I’m looking at ‘what-if’ God decides to bless, to give, to grant to do the things His word says? Like ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires you’re your heart.’ (Psalm 34:7) or ‘May He grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.’ (Psalm 20:4) ‘May the Lord answer all of your prayers’ (Psalm 25:5b)

I ask you… “What-if” He does? What if He comes through? What if He provides that money? What if He answers that prayer for a job, for a car, for a bill? What if?

Who is He? I am reminded of a word He keeps giving me.

As Moses speaks with God about the Israelites in Numbers 11, God asked Moses ‘Is there a limit to my Power?” (Verse 23.) Let me go ahead and tell you the answer is no - and I don’t think we want to test Him on this.

I do think we should look at one more conversation of Moses and God. The first recorded one… The one where God was speaking out of a bush ablaze with His glory… In the words of God –

“Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)

So I ask one last time - ‘What if…?’

A bout with fear.

Psalm 56:3 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.'

Do you ever get paralyzed by the unknown? You hear something, think something, dream something, and boom. You think the worst. Your heart stops and you’re in a panic.

What does the Lord say?

Psalm 34. 'I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the lord. Let all who are helpless take heart.

Come let us tell of God’s greatness let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy. No shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed and the Lord listened, he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.'

The enemy wants to stop you in your tracks. He is the father of lies. The Lord wants us to be confident. I believe the antidote to all of this is to stay humble and walk with Him. 'The name of the Lord is strong tower, the righteous run into it – and they are safe.' (Proverbs 18:10)

So – an attack comes, what do you do?

            1. Go to the creator, cry out to Him for help.

2. Recall all the scripture He has given you. Some of my favorites are the Psalms… 34, 37, 20, 21, 4 & 5.

3. Ask Him to free you from the worry. His word is full of scripture about worry – and why we shouldn't.

4. Praise Him for taking you out of your misery, for protecting you, and for sending people along your way to encourage and uplift you.

He has you. He is protecting you. So who are you going to believe? God of grace and love, or lies of the enemy. The choice is yours. How long do you want to stay miserable?

Here are the scriptures He has given me in various anxiety battles. Learn them and keep them close to your heart.

Matthew 7:7 –'Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you. For he who asks, receives. He who seeks finds, and he who knocks, the door will be opened unto him.'

List of Psalms:

34, 37, 20, 21, 4, 5, 91, 46

I had to write out the entirety of Psalm 91 –

Psalm 91 (NLT)

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”