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from "The Poor Man's Portions" by Robert Hawker

AUGUST 24.
EVENING.

"And God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?'" 1 Kings 3:5

My honoured Lord! May I not, with all humbleness of soul, apply what was here said to Solomon, in the Old Testament dispensation, as said to all your redeemed under the New Testament grace? Did you not say, Lord! "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:23,24) I feel encouraged by this saying of my Lord; and I am come up, this evening, to my Lord, to get large supplies of grace, mercy, pardon, peace; yea, Christ himself, with all his gifts, with all his fulness, and all his blessings. And sure I am, if my Lord will give me as large a hand to receive, as my Lord's hand is to give, I shall have a blessed time of it this evening.

My soul, be sure that you bring with you all your wants; yea, come as empty as the poorest beggar that ever appeared in the poverty and wretchedness of a fallen nature; for he that "gives to all liberally and without reproach." Do you know what your wants are? And what are the wants of Christ's church upon earth and your household, your family, your children, your friends? Let them tell you, if you do not know; tell them, Jesus is upon the throne, and delighting to give out of his inexhaustible fulness; and there is an assurance of blessings, if asked in faith. Tell them that you will faithfully lay their cases before him. Bring them with you, and let all unite in prayer and supplication together, that every want may be supplied, and every poor sinner's heart made glad!

Oh! what encouragement it is to consider, that every thing in Christ is for his people, and that he waits to be gracious, and delights in imparting blessings. The Father's gift of Christ is for this express purpose; for he so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; and therefore, with him, "he will freely give all things." And Jesus, who gave himself for his people, will surely give every thing that can be needed to his people. And it is the glory, grace, and love of the Holy Ghost, to give to the people views and enjoyments of both the Father's love and the Son's grace.

Hear then, my soul, the voice from the mercy-seat, this evening: "Ask! What shall I give you?" See that your petition, and the blessings you pray for, be great and large, suited to the glory of the great Giver, and the largeness and tenderness of the Lord's heart. And do mark this down, as an encouragement to take with you, of the assurance of your success: if he that bids you ask, gives you faith at the same time to believe; and if, while the Lord is stretching forth the sceptre of his grace, he enables you to stretch forth your withered hand to touch it; I am sure that you will not come away empty; for he has said, "Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matt 21:22)

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