“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)

After I passed the River Church baton to my gospel son, Dan Allen, I entered a whole new world. The demands of being a senior pastor lifted off me. Now, if I hadn’t heard from the Lord about my future I would have gone the route of the retirement trap – you know: growing old, becoming reclusive and settling into a low-key life! Sorry, not my kind of life. God spoke the plan for my life before I left my role. In advance of my turning the church over, He told me to finish my first book, publish it, begin a new ministry and become a 501-c3 organization.

So when I was released from my pastoral duties I became an itinerant preacher and author. Just one small problem: the phone wasn’t ringing off the hook. Why? Well, mostly because I am not the best preacher, teacher, or minister. You may not be the best salesman, doctor, lawyer, or business person either. Famous people receive calls to speak, to sign autographs, and to speak at big conventions, get big contracts, and mega million sales. As you know, I am not famous and the chances are that I will never be famous – and you know what, I am so okay with that. I once googled ‘what percentage of people become famous?’. Now don’t get disappointed with this but the result was 0.000086 per cent!

Understanding where you are at gives you more of a reason to keep on Asking, keep on Seeking and keep on Knocking. Why do I keep A-S-K-ing? The same reason why salespeople do, why actors keep auditioning, why people begin businesses – because, like them, I am confident I have something of value to share with others. I have ‘God-fidence’ that God has put something in me to help others. I believe I am called to do this, and I am anointed and ordained to be successful in it. This is what keeps me A-S-K-ing, the belief in the potential God has put in me.

So don’t ever give up on what God has put in you. Don’t let disappointments stop you. Your prayer closet will enlighten and empower you, and instil the ‘God-fidence’ to make that next phone call or send another resume out.