Total Recall

Call on the name of the Lord. Call on Jesus. Keep calling and your prayers will be answered with the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

“Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”…Elijah went. He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” So he died”

2 Kings 1:2-17

A single missed step is what led Ahaziah to his death. You wonder why he was so carelessly walking. Did he not know the danger of walking in an upper room on lattice that could not support his weight? He was not walking wisely.  

Ahaziah was the king of Israel but called on a false god and it cost him dearly. Elijah called him out and confronted his corrupt heart. Does this story seem irrelevant at all to you? Maybe not at first glance but if we dig deeper we might see how God is calling us to call on Him. 

Pause for a moment and consider your prayer life. When and where do you pray? How do you pray? Is calling on God and obeying what He says clearly important to you? How could you grow in prayer? 

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though bread, they never call on the Lord. God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” Psalms 14:1-7

The Bible consistently contrasts the wise and the foolish. David said the fool denies God.  The fool preys on the poor. The fool does whatever they please, without regard for the fear of the Lord. In the movie Rocky III, Mr. T said to pity the fool. No one wants to play the fool or fall like the foolish king Ahaziah. 

How can we stay on the path of wisdom? Listen to God. Seek God. God is looking to see who will call on Him. He is looking for those who are willing to listen and obey what He says. God is present in the company of the righteous. When you pray, are you asking God to bless your plans or are you open to doing whatever He says? God does not bless the disobedient or those who deny him.  

“Does not wisdom call out? At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet…”To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. Choose my instruction instead of silver…for wisdom is more precious than rubies and nothing you desire can compare with her. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind…my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 8:1-35

The God who made you knows exactly what you need. You need more of His presence.  The Holy Spirit is always calling out to you. The Spirit says make room for more of me for with me is all the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding you need to walk rightly with God. Don’t you love that God does not leave us where we are? Don’t you love that He calls us by name and calls us to a higher place? 

Wisdom warns against barriers to receiving the blessing of more of God’s presence. Wisdom said pride, evil behavior, arrogance, and perverse speech are all roadblocks to receiving more of the Spirit. Are any of these affecting you today? 

Wisdom gives us a preview of what is to come after we die. The Holy Spirit daily delights in God’s presence. If you wonder what heaven is like, re-read this passage. Heaven is being close to the Heavenly Father and being full of the Holy Spirit in a place where angels and all people rejoice in His presence. You do not have to wait until you die to draw close to God. Do you want more of the Holy Spirit? Pray for ears to hear His voice and an obedient heart to receive His Spirit. 

“I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised…He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit…Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses…who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock…who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown…they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.” Isaiah 63:7-14

The message shifts from calling to recalling. Ahaziah did not call on God, David did. Solomon said wisdom calls out. Isaiah said to praise all God has done and if you do not want to drift away, recall the ways He has moved in mighty ways. We live in such a fast pace world that it is easy to always be looking forward and to forget the faithfulness of God. How much time do you take to give thanks and recall what God has done for you? Is that a part of your daily routine or a rare occurrence? 

Truth tells us that when we ignore God, we grieve the Spirit. Truth tells us when we seek God we receive rest by the Spirit. God is calling us to live a Holy Spirit led life that listens and obeys. God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit that we might glorify His name. The Spirit was not given just so our lives could be easy or comfortable.  It was given so that we could bring justice and mercy to the world around us. 

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place…his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed…I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”…Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:1-28

Jesus brings every passage together with one simple invitation. Ask yourself, what are you really asking God for? What do you want most? What door are you hoping He will open? Are your prayers centered on getting God to accomplish your plans, or are they centered on receiving more of His presence? Jesus did not teach us to pray just so we could repeat words or repeat prayers. Rituals and repetition do not guarantee a righteous heart. 

So often we pray and ask God to give us what we want, not realizing He has something so much better for us. Jesus is not saying just ask more often for what you want. He is not saying repeat the same prayer asking God to give you what you want. We can easily misunderstand the Scriptures. Often what you want is not what you need. 

He taught us to seek the Father and trust that His greatest gift is the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit fills your life, He brings wisdom for every decision, strength for every trial, peace that surpasses understanding, courage to step into our calling during the darkest nights, and love that overflows into the lives of others.

We often believe the answer to prayer is getting what we asked for, but Jesus reveals that the greatest answer is receiving more of God Himself. The Father knows what you need before you ask. He knows your future, your failures, your fears, and where you will find the fullness of joy: with Him. We often pray for changed circumstances, but He longs to change our hearts. 

The Holy Spirit is God’s answer because with Him comes everything necessary to live abundantly. So keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. But change what you are asking for. Ask for the Holy Spirit. Ask that God reveal anything that is keeping you from receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Father to fill you afresh with His Holy Spirit. 

Listen for His voice, recall His faithfulness, and walk in obedience when He speaks. As you do, you will discover that His presence is greater than any earthly blessing and His wisdom is better than all riches. As you learn to dwell with Him, you will discover a life of rejoicing that He designed and desires to give to you.