When Jesus began to pray, He started by honoring His Father and glorifying His name. He surrendered His will to God and had a time of communion with Him before He ever asked for a thing.
Today we might consider that to be “sucking up,” but that is not at all what Jesus was doing. It is good to honor the one from whom you are requesting something, especially God.
It’s simply praise and worship, when you praise Him for all the great things He has done and is doing for you, and worship Him for all He is to you.
We need to be assured of God’s love for us and “connect” with Him in order to ask Him for anything in faith. If we are “disconnected” or feeling guilty or intimidated at all about asking Him for things, chances are He won’t respond, because the Bible tells us it is impossible to please God without faith, and He doesn’t do anything apart from faith.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
If I find myself feeling guilty or uncomfortable asking God for things, I just start praising Him and ask Him to show me what the problem is.
I want to approach Him with confidence and faith, the way Jesus did when He was on earth. When Jesus began asking the Father for things, He asked for quite a bit, and I don’t think He was feeling guilty about it either!
God wants us to ask freely and in faith, because that is how He helps us to accomplish the mission He’s given us. What do you need from Him today? Ask Him!
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
