FROM ADAPTING TO ACHIEVING
Deep Dive 7/20/2025
ACHIEVEMENT REQUIRES KNOWING WHAT WE WANT GOD TO DO FOR US
Mark 10:51
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
If God asked you this question, would you have a specific answer? We are all like blind Bartimaeus in some way. We might have our physical sight, but our spiritual eyes need the strongest prescription possible. When Bartimaeus told Jesus that he wanted to see, there was no denying that Jesus had miraculously worked in his life. God gets all the glory when we pray specific prayers that could only be answered through His miraculous power.
James 4:2-4
2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world (THE CROWD) makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world (THE CROWD), you make yourself an enemy of God.
Romans 8:26-27
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will.
Just as Jesus was in the world but not of the world, we are called to be set apart from the world (THE CROWD). God has good plans for us, but as believers this means we spend our lives seeking to grow closer to Him and to know His plan for our lives. When our motives fall in line with God’s plan, that is when we see everything fall into place – where we reach the place of achieving instead of just adapting.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10
9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez[a] because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
Jabez was given a name that stuck with him, a label. But Jabez knew he did not want to be defined by that label (his COAT), so he asked God to help set him free. Jabez had right motives and knew exactly what He wanted God to do, so God met him where he was and answered his prayer.
Philippians 4:6
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
WE CAN BE HONEST WITH GOD AND TELL HIM WHAT WE NEED. HE CALLS US TO PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING WITH THANKFUL HEARTS. PRAY TO KNOW HIS PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE AND LET’S THROW OFF OUR COATS.
Hebrews 11:6
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a]a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Psalm 57:2-3
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me.
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
God has called us to walk in deliverance, destiny and purpose. Jesus made us new through His sacrifice on the cross. He did His part. It is up to each of us to step into the destiny and purpose that He sacrificed His life to provide for us.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
It is easy to pray vague prayers, but that is not how we build our faith or bring glory to God. How can you pray differently?
What would your answer be to the question “What do you want me to do for you?” Pray about it, then write down your answer.
Look in Scripture for some examples of specific prayer. Instead of google check out Genesis and Judges.
Take ten minutes to journal a prayer to God about the answer to your prayer above. Ask Him to reveal if it is a prayer with right motives. Ask Him if he wants you to refine your prayer, to make it even more specific, and for discernment according to His will.
Did you know that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus intercede for each of us before God?
Read Romans 8.
How can you apply Romans 8 to the idea of throwing off your COAT? What word(s) does Paul use instead of COAT to describe this same idea? (This will vary depending on what translation you use.)
Write out at least one verse from Romans 8 that resonates with you in this moment and post it where you can see it this week.
God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. We can trust that walking in His plan and purpose will require our surrender and obedience. What small step can you take today to move toward that purpose?
Journal what that area is and a plan of how you can answer the call.
Take what you wrote above and share it with a believing friend to help hold you accountable to walk in your purpose and throw off the problem that plagues you with the past. If you do not have someone you feel you can share it with, send it through our prayer request link on the website and we will be praying with you.
Spend some time in Psalms looking for more passages about God’s purpose for the lives of those who love Him. Write out two verses and post them somewhere you will see that reminder this week.
