I received a text message the other day from someone asking me to do something for them. The text came with a sense of pleading and almost begging for help, as though I might not be willing. After reading the message the Lord spoke to me and said, “My people do not need to beg and plead, all they have to do is ask.”

Much prayer in the Christian church is begging and pleading God to do something for us, hoping He will respond in kind. Begging and pleading is not faith, but fear of a no or not yet, reveals we do not know the heart and character of our Father.

In Acts 9 a woman dies and they call for Peter to come to their house, here is what it says, “So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”

The people in the room were begging and pleading with Peter to do something by showing them all she did for the community, but Peter sent them out and turned to the dead woman and told her to arise. No begging, no pleading, no fanfare or all night prayer meeting, just a command, Tabitha arise.

Many people have learned to beg and plead with God, because they have lived with hope deferred for so long, but we are living in a new day and the Lord is near to the broken hearted; He tells us to seek and we will find, to knock and the door will be opened, to ask and it will be granted to us. We must stop begging and pleading with God, for it is a childish form of manipulation and it will not get us anywhere.

We are sons and daughters not beggars and pleaders. Father, forgive us for acting like beggars in the house of our Father. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org