Why You Need to Pray Hard For This One Thing - JENNIFER LECLAIRE

Why You Need to Pray Hard For This One Thing

9/18/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

When offered anything in the world, Solomon chose Wisdom. Will you? (Flickr/Andy Rennie)

I pray for many things every day. I pray for my family, my friends, my ministry, my nation—and, of course, myself. I pray for protection. I pray for a deeper revelation of God's love and over my life. I pray for grace.

But there's one thing I've been praying for more and more lately—and I am convinced that if we would pray more for this one thing we would make better use of our time, live happier lives, and ultimately see more answers to our prayers.

What is this one thing I've been praying for more and more lately? Wisdom. I believe if we pray more for spiritual wisdom—even if it means praying less for natural needs—we'll receive more wisdom and our natural needs will be more than met.

Take a Hint From Solomon

We could all take a hint from Solomon. You know the story. The Lord appealed to Solomon in a dream and made this invitation: "Ask! What shall I give you?" Can you imagine the Lord coming to you in a dream and making such an invitation? What would you ask God for if you could ask and assuredly receive anything?

It seems Solomon had enough wisdom to ask for the principal thing: wisdom. Solomon replied to God's invitation with these words: "Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9).

That made God happy. Let's see how He responded:

"Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days" (1 Kings 3:10-14).

All I can say to that is, "wow" and "amen."

What Wisdom Will Do for You

God is no respecter of persons (see Acts 10:34). You can receive the wisdom you need to walk according to God's plan for you. James clearly stated that "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). The only catch is you have to ask in faith, without doubting. That's not much of a catch and it shouldn't be too hard to do. God wants to give you wisdom so you can walk wise, making the best use of your time because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-17).

Let's check out what Solomon had to say in the wake of receiving such great wisdom: "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her" (Prov. 3:3-18).

My Prayer for You

Wisdom begets wisdom. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge (see Prov. 18:15). The wise man listens to advice (see Prov. 12:15). A man's wisdom makes his face shine (see Eccl. 8:1). By wisdom your house is built (see Prov. 24:3). Wise ones are cautious and turn away from evil (see Prov. 14:16). The words of the wise win him favor (see Eccl. 10:12). The wise will inherit honor (see Prov. 3:35). Wisdom will keep and guard you if you love it (see Prov. 4:6-7). I could go on and on and encourage you to do a study of the benefits of walking in God's wisdom.

When we receive wisdom, it's important that we acknowledge its source. The Lord gives wisdom (see Prov. 2:6). We should never be wise in our own eyes (see Prov. 3:7). But we should humbly pray for wisdom more and more. So these are my prayers. I pray like Solomon, who said, "Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil" (1 Kings 3:9).

And I pray like Paul, who asked, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Eph. 1:17-21).

And I pray the Lord would give you wisdom, too. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Michael Brown - Be Careful Whom You Damn

Be Careful Whom You Damn

1/14/2014 MICHAEL BROWN, Charisma Magazine

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It is true that the Scriptures often warn us against deception, and it is true that some preach “another Jesus” (who is not Jesus at all) and “another gospel” (which is no gospel at all; see 2 Cor. 11:1-4; Gal. 1:6-9). And it is true that many false converts will be shocked when Jesus says to them on that great and dreadful Day, “Depart from me” (see Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46).

All of us should examine ourselves to be sure that we are “in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5) and all of us should be diligent to “confirm [our] calling and election” (2 Pet. 1:10), and this does mean falling into performance-based religious exercises but rather living out our calling to be God’s children (see 2 Pet. 1:3-11; this is our response to what God has graciously done for us).

At the same time, we need to be very careful about setting ourselves up as the ultimate judge of who is saved and who is lost--meaning, among those who claim to be followers of the Jesus of the Scriptures.

Some have decided that I cannot possibly be saved because I am not a Calvinist (seriously), as exemplified by this comment posted to one of my YouTube debates: “I certainly wouldn't call Brown a brother, he denies the gospel, he denies what Christ did on the cross and denies Jesus has the power to save and keep His Church without man's help. Brown’s God is not God.”

So, according to Tim, because I don’t believe, with Calvin, that some “individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction,” that I’m not actually saved. (And yes, I hear from those who assure me that Calvinists are not saved.)

How myopic and wrongheaded can we be?

Most recently, because of my appearances on Benny Hinn’s TV show, talking about the Messiah in the Old Testament and the errors of hypergrace, I am now being damned to hell, along with him.

Benny Hinn and Michael Brown

Responding to a blog article highly critical of me, Denise, wrote, “According to [2 John] v. 11 God counts Brown as guilty of the SAME wickedness as Hinn precisely because Brown not only greets the man, but promotes and endorses Hinn and his pulpit. Therefore he too, is to be just as rejected as the false teacher he welcomes. It is THAT serious to God.”

Another commenter wrote, “I would hope that God grants Mr. Brown repentance not only of his charismatic heresies but also the arminian (remonstrant) heresy and that by God's gracious Holy Spirit, He would convert him to the True Gospel which we are to contend for.”

So, I’m doubly damned, being both a charismatic as well as a non-Calvinist--actually triply damned, because I appeared on Benny Hinn’s TV show too.

But it gets worse. According to Brad, “I know it is the will of God that none perish, but it is also his will that men who teach little ones to sin would have been better off not to have been born. These men love mammon and hate God. I’m hoping Brown repents, leaves the ministry, and serves in a local church after his salvation. It would be better off for Hinn had he never been born. If either of you [referring to the bloggers] get the opportunity to plead with Brown to come clean, do so. It may not be too late for him.” (He actually wrote some stuff that was even more rancid, but this quote is sufficient.)

Worse still, a brother on Twitter was so upset with me appearing on Benny Hinn’s show, that he not only decided I was a charlatan but also claimed that God was not my Father. I had tweeted out to my Twitter followers, “What a longsuffering, merciful Father we have!” He responded by calling God my “imaginary friend”--in other words, he can’t be my Father.

This is nothing less than pathetic.

Others have come out of the woodwork with comments like, “What part of, ‘be not unevenly yoked together with unbelievers’ was optional for you all at Brownsville?” (I’ll be sure to let Steve Hill and John Kilpatrick know that they’re not saved either!)

Or this one, stating, “This is the ‘gospel’ Brown is now defending [with a link to a service at the Brownsville Revival]… Sorry, that looks a lot like satanism.”

And this one, which followed a YouTube link to the one of the most powerful altar calls I ever witnessed in my life: “Brown, repent of all your Charles Finney type emotional manipulation and semi-pelagian errors and learn to preach the true gospel.”

And how about this comment to my debate on cessationism with Dr. Sam Waldron, “Dr Brown claims to be sola scriptura [meaning, that the Scriptures alone are our authority for doctrine and practice] but how can I believe him, knowing he is an Arminian and a trinitarian, worse he is a charismatic.”

It looks I’m in really big trouble, being an Arminian (rather than a Calvinist), as well as believing in God’s triune nature (what a crime!) and--perish the thought!--being a charismatic.

To be perfectly clear, I’m not hurt by these comments, nor is this persecution for the gospel. (Obviously.) But I do hurt for the body of Christ and I do hurt for these misguided individuals (on all sides of the debate), and I long to see God’s people--those who are truly is--unite around his Son.

Because of that, I am truly blessed when readers of my Authentic Fire book post reviews stating that they were moved by my heart of reconciliation and honor towards those with whom I differ--and this truly is the expression of my heart.

So, let us all humble ourselves before the Lord, let us search our own hearts prayerfully, let us address clear error where we see it, and let us be careful whom we damn.

I for one am very glad that you are not my final judge, and I’m sure you’re quite glad that I am not yours.

Michael Brown is author of Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. Follow him at AskDrBrown on Facebook or at @drmichaellbrown on Twitter.

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Love For His People Editor's Note: I loved seeing Michael on Benny Hinn's program! It was great! (The week of Jan. 13-17, 2014). 

Here is the link: Benny Hinn TV

Steve Martin

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