Making the RIGHT REQUEST

HEY!!

Today I was reading in 1 Kings 3:8-14 about King Solomon. Right after he became king, his heart was already set towards God's Kingdom and seeing God's people treated fairly. He chose to ask for the right things, his requests were in line with God's vision. In Verse 8-9, Solomon says,
"8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

God used this passage of scripture to encourage me today. I had several requests that I have seen come to pass for this trip to South Africa. One of the biggest being to provide the finances for me to go! God has not only done that but provided provision for extra trip expenses. But more importantly than that request, this week I've been thinking about how I would be effective in South Africa. What am I going to talk about? How am I going to share with people? How do I relate? and all these questions that were discouraging me and making feel as though I was not equipped to be going. Finally, I decided to take some time out to pray about specific things and that me and my team would be effective this summer. When reading this today, I realized that I just needed to make the "right request" -

I want to see people's lives changed, I want to see someone healed, I would like all the words my team and I speak to speak profoundly to those we reach.....Then, God reminded me of this passage of scripture and how my request to see Him move in South Africa is in line with HIS heart. The purpose of me going is to share my story, so why wouldn't God give me the words to say? Why would He bring me this far to leave me? Much like Solomon didn't ask for wealth or to have a long life span, God noted that Solomon's focus was in the right place and his request was for God's people and serving them justly. This encouraged me that my request is a right one! I mean, who else would raise over $4000 in order to fly across the ocean (not a fan of flying) to deliver a message to people I don't know about my testimony and about the God I serve? My request is in line with what God wants to do for those people in South Africa and so I know that God is going to far exceed my expectations and show me great things in South Africa! Further down in the passage of scripture it says that God gave Solomon great wisdom (what he asked for) PLUS those things he didn't ask for like wealth, long life, etc!

God is so great! I love HIM and I can't wait to share the GOOD NEWS with South Africa!!!!

-RHEMMA-