Ask by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

New Testament Words Were First Old Testament Words

The Old Testament is the background for New Testament writing, and the New Testament is the interpretation of the Old Testament. New Testament words were first Old Testament words. We don't get Bible meaning from a dictionary, because a dictionary only gives probable meanings, not the meaning of words. Bible words have Bible meaning.

Example: What "Breathed On Them" Really Means

John 20:22

Jesus told them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." But we cannot establish a doctrine from one occurrence, it's just one place in the entire Bible.

The first time we see "breath" is in Genesis 2, where man became a living soul, capable of reasoning and speaking, and immediately prophesied. That breath cannot be oxygen, because then God would have breathed on every living thing. It was specific to man.

Ezekiel 37

God said, "Prophesy, cause breath to enter into these dry bones." So breath means to prophesy, and prophesy is naba or nabi in the Hebrew, meaning inspired utterance, utterance with God's understanding.

So when Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," he prophesied to them, he taught them how to receive the Holy Ghost, because prophecy is teaching.

Doctrinal Understanding of Asking

Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:9-13

Ask, and it will be given to you. How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? So the "ask" in Matthew 7:7 is asking for the Spirit.

Asking That Your Joy May Be Full

John 16:17-24

Verses 17 to 18 talk about his death. Verses 20 to 22 talk about his death and resurrection. Verses 23 to 24 talk about his resurrection, and then asking.

That word "ask" there is erotao, the same as pray in John 14:16.

Where do we find the meaning of that "joy" in the Old Testament?

Psalm 48:1-2

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth.

Psalm 110:1, Acts 2:34

"The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand." Peter shows us that Lord is Jesus. So the joy of the whole earth is Jesus, the resurrected Christ.

So when he says "ask that your joy may be full," he's saying ask for salvation. The fullness of joy is in Christ. He's not saying make your request so your joy can be full. It's not a blank check.

1 John 5:4

This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. If you are not praying in his will, he's not hearing, so how can he answer?

Ask in My Name, Not With My Name

John 14:13

Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified.

Say I want Kadi to get me $10,000 from Bruno. I tell Kadi, "Go to Bruno, tell her she should give you $10,000 for me." Kadi goes there, Bruno gives Kadi the money. If Kadi runs away with that money, that's stealing, because she collected it in my name, not with my name.

So when the Bible says ask in the name of Jesus, ask for something that Jesus will use. If you are not praying like that, God will keep disappointing you. It is purpose before blessing, not blessing before purpose.

How I Approach Prayer

1. Find scriptures that align with what you're believing God for and put them on your lips.
2. Look out for the principles guiding those scriptures, not just the scriptures themselves.

Mark 16:15

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Yet in Acts 16, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia. Prayer is prophetic in nature, not head knowledge.

We start prayer with thanksgiving. This thing we are talking about is prayer, you are talking to someone you can't see and expecting feedback. When God gives you feedback, that's prophecy, that's God speaking.

Answers take time, because you have to wait to hear what to do. God is not spending money in heaven, there's a wisdom he'll give you, a way he'll open your eyes.

I wanted to buy a car, and I asked the Holy Spirit whether to buy it since the price was so low. As I was talking with two mechanics afterward, I overheard them warning, in my native language, about a fault in that exact make of car. I bought it anyway, and God spoke to me through what I overheard. I later sold that car, and the money went straight to the church.

God Answers Our Prayers for Two Reasons

1. Because we are his children. What that means is I don't get what I want, I get what is best for me. God will ensure whatever he gives me, I'm matured enough to have it. So God won't give me a relationship or a person that doesn't fit my assignment, even if it looks nice, because he gives what is best, not what is wanted. When my plans are failing, God's counsel is standing, it wasn't mine. Like Joseph, you can say, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for my good."
2. Because of what we are praying about. God will never give you anything outside his will. Answer is automatic once the will of God is known. Instead of bombarding heaven with requests, receive burdens, your blessing is in his assignment. Joshua did not pray for Moses' anointing, he aligned with God's will. Mary did not say "use me, Lord," she asked, "how will this be?" Zachariah asked, "how can this be?" How is probability, how will is wisdom, tell me what to do. Some people in the place of prayer are dumb, on mute, because everything they were saying was unbelief, and that's why the promise didn't spoil.

Answers Are Often on the Altar of Sacrifice

Genesis 22

It was when Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac that God said, "In your seed shall all nations be blessed."

Genesis 8-9

It was when Noah sacrificed to God that he made the covenant never to destroy the world again by flood. Not prayer. A prayerful man and a sacrificial man, watch their lives, one will have more than the other.

I don't remember the last time I asked God for something for myself. There was a large seed someone gave us, and the Lord said to give it away. Months later a bigger amount came, and the Lord said to give that too, even though we had planned to use it for a house down payment. God told me, "You will live in houses you did not build." Answers are not most times in prayer, they are on the altar of sacrifice.

God told me never to join people who criticize prosperity. Is there any pastor preaching against prosperity that is prospering? Pick wisely.

Landmark Moments

I once flew to another city just to give a sacrificial gift to a man of God. As I gave it, he laid his hands on me and said, "I'm giving you a king maker anointing, everything about your life and ministry will change." You must have landmark moments, places where God cuts a covenant with you, where you know this is where everything changed.

Give me a heart of flesh.

A heart that can hear, a heart that you can command, because that's where the answer is.

Give me a heart of flesh. Walk on my heart. Bless me with a heart of flesh.