What do you want Jesus to do for YOU?

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

James 4:1-3
4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions [1] are at war within you? [2] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Several years ago I went to a service at a Penacoastal Church. As you know, I have been raised Southern Baptist and at that time had not had much experience with Charismatic services. God has given me many opportunities to go to all kinds of Gospel believing Churches and I can be at home almost anywhere. But like I said this was one of the first times to be a service like this one.

The preacher had an altar call and the lady I was with said will you go down with me for prayer? This was her church. I hesitated because there were a lot of people in the altar and it was quite rowdy for this little Baptist girl. But I went with her. I’m kind of like that I like to be where the action is and there was action there. The preacher came to us and he gently put his hand on her head said something in her ear and she fell to the floor. Leaving me there to fend for myself.

I knew I was in trouble when he braced himself by leaning back on one leg and lunging forward toward me. There I stood not knowing what to do. He looked at me and kind of in a loud voice said “What do YOU want Jesus to do for YOU?” (a perfectly legitimate question, since I did go up front for pray). I stood there frozen and stared at him and finally said “I Don’t Know” That must have angered him some what because he put his hand on my head and said something I don’t remember and pushed me backward and down I went. Since then I have been very careful not go down to the altar unless I know why I’m there.

We need to know what we want Jesus to do for us because He says “we have not because we ask not”. We can ask Jesus for all kinds of things, pay off debt, new car, salvation of our children, protection, healing for self and others, the list goes on. But I think Jesus likes it when we ask for things that will make us more like Him. I have a list of five things I want to ask Jesus to do for me. (This came from a sermon I heard this week where the preacher gave 15 things to ask for, all were good, but I choose 5 for this lesson.






1. I want the forgiveness of Jesus.

Eph. 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Acts 26:19 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

I want the forgiveness of Jesus and I want to give the forgiveness of Jesus.
Matthew 6: 12-15 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

2. I want the Wisdom of Solomon.

God says to Solomon in I King 3:5-9
5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

Apparently when you ask for wisdom it pleases God. What a better thing to ask for than to ask Him to give you something that pleases Him. And immediately God answered his request because the next verse says “I have done according to your words”. I love it. Solomon asked and God gave.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;



Psm 15:6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

The only way to get wisdom is to ask God for It.

3. I want the purity of Daniel.
Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Lev. 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.

Lev. 19: 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

1 Pet. 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Doing what is good and right matters. No room for compromise.

4. I want the faith (obedience) of Abraham.

22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.


Delayed obedience is still disobedience.

Abraham had faith, great faith; he did not delay in his response to God’s commands. I believe Abraham walked so closely to God that when God spoke God did not have to yell.



Look at what Abraham had already done in Gen 12: 1-4 12:1 Now the LORD said [1] to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [2]
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Abraham believed the promise of God and He had great faith.
Heb 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
5. I want the devotion of Ruth.
Ruth 1: 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
1 kings 60so (A)that all the peoples of the earth may know that (B)the LORD is God; there is no one else.
61"(C)Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day."





A person who is devoted has a good reputation that go before them. Look what Boaz had heard about Ruth.
Ruth 2:11Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.
12"(A)May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, (B)under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."
How devoted was Ruth to Naomi? In Chapter 2 Ruth asked Naomi’s permission to go glean. She did not go off on her own but she stayed accountable to Naomi. Ruth took care of Naomi by bringing home the wheat she had gleaned to share with Naomi. In Chapter 3 Ruth was obedient to Naomi when Naomi told her what to do for Boaz. And Ruth brought Naomi great joy at the birth of Boaz. She also brought Naomi honor among her friends.
Ruth 4: 14-15 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without(B) a redeemer, and may his name(C) be renowned in Israel! 15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you,(D) who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
As we are devoted to God we stay obedient to Him, we stay close to Him, we do things His way and not our way, we take care of the things of God and we bring joy and honor to God. And others know we love Him.
There are so many more things we can ask Jesus for. Focus of Moses, patience of Job, the courage of Joshua & Caleb, self-control of Joseph, Obedience of Matthew, and persistence of Paul, Discernment of Jude, Praise of David, and the Fire of Elijah and so on. I think the important thing is to start asking.