Be ready to receive

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24 NKJV

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the lame man in Acts chapter 3 had sat begging at the temple gate, but it was a daily occurrence. When he saw Peter and John, the odds are he wasn’t expecting anything—just another day trying to survive. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6 NKJV). Here’s what happened next: “He…stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God” (v. 8 NKJV). There’s an important lesson here for you. God has set times for doing certain things. He has a calendar, and your name is on it: “For the time to favor her [or him]…the set time, has come” (Psalm 102:13 NKJV). If you’re not spiritually attuned, you can miss your “set time” and forfeit what God has for you. That means you must learn to live in expectation, because God’s blessings are either coming toward you or passing you by. Miracles happen to those who believe in them, ask for them, expect them, and receive them. The enemy will try to keep you so preoccupied, cynical, and hopeless that when God sends the answer you prayed for, you won’t recognize it, reach for it, or receive it. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24 NKJV). So, be ready to receive.

Bible in a year: Micah 4-5 and Revelation 9