Fulltank Favorites #10 - When god doesn't seem to answer your prayer

Should we really desire for something so bad -- that we will pray for it, and work for it, and strive for it until the very end - never giving up? Or should we surrender and say, "Lord, Your Will be done"? What should we do? And the answer is really both. You need to have that experience of wanting something so bad, and desiring it, and dreaming for it. And eating with it, and sleeping with it, and walking with it, and talking about that dream. But at the same time, to be able to say, "Lord, I surrender this dream to you". Can we do that? Hi, my name is Bo Sanchez. And welcome to Fulltank, this is your place of inspiration - where I open the gospel for the next day. Praying that it'll equip you today. And we're gonna be reading Luke 11:5-13. By the way, I'm here... Still in Los Angeles - still attending this amazing conference. Learning so much. This is my second day, and there are four days. I have two more days here. And are you ready? Here it goes. Jesus said to His disciples, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread for a friend of mine has arrived at my house, from a journey. Have nothing to offer him. 'And he says in reply -- from inside the house, 'Do not bother me. The door has already been locked, and my children and I already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.'" I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. Have you ever had that persistent friend? Like he just keeps on saying, "Please give me.", "Please help me.", "Please give me this." "Please..." "Okay..." Like, "Get out" But that's exactly what was Jesus was saying. And then he said this, "I tell you..." "Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock in the door and will open to you." For everyone who asks, receives. And the one who seeks, finds. And the one who knocks the door will be opened. So, Jesus is saying, "Be persistent". We are human beings, and we were designed to look for some things. See something, strive for it, give our whole lives to it. I mean, look at the whole world - the whole of humanity. The reason why there's successes. The reason why there's achievements. The reason why there are all sorts of wonderful things happening in technology, all throughout history is because people have the ability to dream, and make those dreams come true. That is a God-given ability. And right now, if you look at your life, ask yourself this question: "What kind of achievements have you had so far"? It's because of the grace of God, and it's because of you working on that grace. And so, you need to have this ability to see what the dream is. And to sow in it. To plant in it. To be involved in it. And to pour your life into it. In other words, to die to yourself, so that you'll be able to grab that which you're looking for. Three steps I want to share with you about succeeding in life is: To see, know your dream, know what you want. Asking God discerning. And then sowing planting. But then you also need to take the third step which is the surrender. At the end of the day, you see your dream, you sow into your dream, but then the third... And this is very important for your peace. You need to surrender to the will of God. What does that mean? It means to be able to marry... And I love saying this. Marry your vision, but do not marry your strategy. What am I saying? I'm saying, you might want for something and desire for something. It could be your happiness, or a mission that God has given to you. But there are many ways by which the miracle of God can show itself. Meaning to say, you may be asking for a particular version of your miracle, when God wants to give you another version of that miracle and it is the better version. Maybe, I'll be able to share this better in a story. I was wanting God to make me an entrepreneur. And so, I started selling food in food carts. And I had a squid ball stand and hotdog. You know, stand -- I had an ice cream scooper. And I love sharing the stories you've probably heard this before. And so, I started and I said, "Lord, make me an entrepreneur so I could help more people. So I could... You know, fund the kingdom of God. And be able to help in mission etc. And learn also being entrepreneur so that I can help other people to become entrepreneurs." I was doing that. And well, my business failed. Another business failed. Another business failed. 12 businesses failed. I lost money. I lost my reputation. I lost time. I lost so much. And it was so painful and I said, "Lord God, you know. Maybe you don't want me to become an entrepreneur." And not knowing.. Not knowing, that God was redirecting me to another business - a business that used my core gifts which was communication. Like the moment I shifted business, I hit the road running and my business, you know, started profiting. And I told myself, "Oh, so this is what it means to profit. You know, because all 12 businesses failed. So my point is this, God wants you to persist. God wants you to persevere. God wants you to see your dream and to hold on to your dream. But do not insist on the version that you want your miracle to manifest. There may be another way and it is 'the better way'. And so, now I'm an entrepreneur, and God has answered my... I want to thank God that those first businesses failed. Because if not, then I would have been in those businesses, and experiencing a low level success. Because now, my business now is prospering like crazy -- because I'm in the right business. So right now, maybe you're praying for something. And it's not happening, and I want you to hold on to your vision. And just see the dream. Sow into the dream. Meaning to say, work, you know. And strive and never give up. But at the same time, surrender and say, "Lord, I will accept the best version that You want for my life. The best version of a miracles you want for my life." When a door closes, it is God saying, "Maybe you need to press on. You need to work on this. Or maybe there might be another door that's open for you." I'm gonna pray for you. I love praying for you. Father in heaven, thank you so much, that there are people here who's listening to me right now -- that needs your miracle. And Lord, maybe... Right now I pray, in the mighty name of Jesus, that You would provide them the best version of the miracle that they need. Thank You, Father. Help them to see your dream. Help them to sow into that dream. And help them to surrender that dream. In Jesus' name. Amen and amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hallelujah! I'll see you tomorrow. God bless you.