Do you have the life you want or do you just have the life you got
see I think a lot of us we're not living the life we want we're living the life we've got
and the reason we never live the life that we want just because we don't know what we want
and God keeps waiting ask me what are your dreams what's your vision
what burdens you what fills you with passion what sets you on fire
ask me for something bigger than you so that I can show up and be God in your life
do you know what you want because if you don't know what you want don't get mad at God that he
never gives you what's your need because if Jesus encounters two blind men walking as he walks down
through Jericho and they cry out to him have mercy on us and he stops and says I'm going
to ask you a question and when I ask you this question I need you to really think this through
because you have a moment with the creator of the universe
what do you want me to do for you I think a lot of us are terrified to ask God to do
big things in us and through us and for us because it might prove that God does not exist
and so we pray small prayers that we can actually fulfill ourselves
we pray prayers that that won't get God in in trouble won't put God in the dilemma because
we don't want to push God into a corner where we ask him to be God and we find out he's less
than we thought but God does not need you to protect him or his reputation
God is bigger than your prayers he's bigger than your dreams he's bigger than your
challenges he's bigger than your fears he's bigger than your doubts he's bigger than you
and he's waiting for you and for me to call on him as the God that he is and asks big dreams and big
prayers and call for big visions God is looking for the person who's not afraid of the big ask
do you know what you want I don't think it's incidental that when they're shouting out to
Jesus the crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet you know what I've discovered in my own life
is that when you ask God for big things people don't start cheering you on
because if you start praying big prayers people look at you and say who do you think you are
praying a prayer that big who do you think you are asking God to give you your sight I
mean after all you are no one these two men do not even have names they don't show up on
any record why would Jesus take the time and energy and effort to give them sight when when
there's nothing about them after this doesn't Jesus only answer big prayers for big people
and so they rebuked them because they did not feel that they were worthy of asking Jesus
for so great a thing see I think a lot of us feel like those blind men on the side of the road
and we don't want to be intrusive on God
we don't want to ask God for more than we should or more than we deserve or more than we ought to
and so we keep our prayers humble so that no one will think we think too much of ourselves
if no one is looking at you at some suspicion looking at you saying who do you think you are
praying that kind of prayer who do you think you are having that kind of dream
who do you think you are expecting God to give you that big of life and you can respond
I know who I am I'm just a blind beggar on the side of the road but Jesus is walking by
and I'm not going to get lost in the crowd because it's not who I am
it's who he is second king in chapter four the wife of a man from the company of the prophets
cried out to Elisha your servant my husband is dead and you know that he revered the Lord and now
his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves Elisha replied to her how can I help you
tell me what do you have in your house your servant has nothing there at all she said except
a small jar of olive oil Elisha said go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars don't
ask for just a few then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons pour oil into the
jars as each is filled put it to one side and she kept pouring and pouring and pouring and pouring
when all the jars were full she said to her son bring me another one
but he replied there's not a jar left then the oil stopped flowing
she went and told the man of God and he said go sell the oil and pay your debts
you and your sons can live on what is left I I think this moment is so critical for her own faith
here's a woman who's at the end of herself who doesn't know what to do
but instead of becoming embittered toward God she runs to the man of God and says
this is where I am this is where my life is this is what I've come to and I love what
he says to her how can I help you she goes I just explained to you we're broke our creditors taking
away my boys they're going to become slaves why does Elijah said how can I help you because God
is always going to ask you what do you want how can I help you and then he says all right tell
me what do you have in your house and she says I have nothing at all which I think is a problem
for so many of us we just we just don't think we have enough for God to use
I love the fact that his first question to her is what do you have and she says nothing
he goes well rethink that you have something because God wants that something he wants you
to take that something that you have and make it everything that you have so you give everything
you have to God so that he can give you everything he has there's going to be great exchange here
she says I have nothing at all except a small jar of olive oil he says alright I want you go to all
your neighbors and I want you to ask them for all their empty jars which is not really helpful
but she goes to all the neighbors I don't even know how many she goes to and she starts asking
for all the empty jars and he does give her one bit of insight don't ask for just a few
say I love this because Elisha knew God he knew how generous God was he knew exactly
what God wanted to do in her life and he said go ask for empty jars but don't just ask for a few
go get as many jars as you can
see I think so many of us are convinced that God can barely fill our one small jar
he said go get all the empty jars you can
pull them together and then lock yourself in so that no one can say anyone did this but God
and take that little bit of oil you have and start pouring into all those empty jars and she poured
and she poured and she poured him by that time she got it God is a generous God God does more
than we could ever ask or imagine this is the kind of God that we serve and just kept pouring
and pouring and pouring and finally she says her son bring me another jar that's all we got
by that time she finally understood the character of God she finally understood
the generosity of God she finally understood that God wanted to prosper her the her and
to pour into her life that if we give God our empty jars with just the smallest amount of oil
and then we ask him for great things he will show up and be the great God