Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When we read the promises of God, we must read them the way we ourselves want to be heard—in full context. Just as we expect others to understand our words in light of what we’ve said before, God expects us to interpret His promises in light of all He has revealed in His Word.
It’s tempting to isolate a promise like “ask anything in My name” and stretch it to cover every personal desire. But “anything” doesn’t mean “everything.” And “whosoever” doesn’t mean “whoever ignores God’s will.” God’s promises are not blank checks for the self-centered or the disobedient. He hasn’t promised to fulfill our every whim—He has promised to equip us for His will.
Imagine being asked to build a fence, and the one who sent you says, “If you need anything, call me.” That “anything” clearly applies to fence-building, not requesting a sports car! Likewise, when God says, “Ask anything,” He means anything related to what He has asked you to do. He has not promised to indulge our whims but to equip us for His work.
This is why many prayers seem to go unanswered—not because God is unfaithful, but because we’ve misunderstood how they relate to His assignment for our lives. False assumptions produce false expectations, and false expectations delay the heart’s joy (“Hope deferred makes the heart sick”—Proverbs 13:12). But when our desires align with His purpose, prayers are answered, lives are transformed, and Christ is being formed within us. (Galatians 4:19)
God never promised to fulfill all our wants, but He has assured us that He will meet all our needs (Philippians 4:19). His provision is always connected to His purpose. He is faithful in equipping you for His calling, not to make life more comfortable but to make you more useful for His Kingdom.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
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Between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur are ten days. These days are known as “Yamim Noraim”, “the Days of Awe” — or also translated, the “Awesome days”. In Judaism it has been long believed that these days seal your fate for the upcoming year — and also allude to your final destiny, concerning whether your name continues to be written in the Book of Life.
One of the major themes of Rosh Hashana is called Akedat Yitzchak, which means the Binding of Isaac. According to Jewish tradition, God told Abraham that the ram’s horn – otherwise known as a shofar – should be blown on Rosh Hashana to remind people of the sacrifice that God provided Himself when Abraham was about to offer Isaac on Mount Moriah.
Rosh Hashanah traditionally marks the Jewish New Year. “Shanah” is a unique Hebrew word meaning “to repeat, revise, or go over again”. As we begin the new year, with fall, then winter, spring, and summer, we remember the cyclical pattern of time in God’s creation. The nature of life is to repeat itself — to continue in a cycle, marked by Rosh HaShannah — a New Year. Although time is moving in a direction toward a definite destiny determined by the Creator, it does so in cycles … truly, “what goes around comes around”.
On Wednesday this week, we will celebrate the Biblical festival of Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) otherwise known as Rosh Ha Shana. What’s interesting about Rosh Ha Shana (the Jewish celebration of the New Year), is that it doesn’t fall on the first day of the first month. It falls on the first day of the seventh month! It’s difficult for outsiders to understand this concept, but it all makes sense if we study how the Jewish year begins and how God is outlining this age according to the Jewish feasts.
As we just celebrated one of the highest holy days of all the feasts of the Bible, Yom Turah (Feast of Trumpets) known in modern times as Rosh ha Shana (Head of the Year).
True story! In 1940, a large and wonderful Christian family, the Rudolph’s, announced the birth of their 20th baby! Though the baby was not expected to live, having been born prematurely and with polio, she defied all odds. She did live, but by the time she was four she had suffered polio, pneumonia and scarlet fever. This little girl was badly crippled with hardly any use of her left leg. While her brothers and sisters enjoyed running and playing outside, she was left confined to braces.
The concept of ownership often influences how one can view the world, but if we recognize the truth that our time here is short and we can’t take anything with us, it will change our perspective. We are simply stewards of what has been entrusted to us. I’ve been running Worthy and its sites for 25 years, and I’ve never thought I was an owner but rather a steward of a ministry.