What we ask from the Lord and how large we ask for, most of the time, depend upon our understanding and how we believe. It also depends upon our idea of how God will send the answer to us. That is, if we are depending upon salary, we most often will be limited in our mind to employee promotion in our job as the source of the extra money we pray for. A minister who usually receives offering from multitudes may begin to expect more people to send bigger offerings and soon will be able to get the 2 million dollars. Whereas another minister who never receives any offering will doubt in his mind how the money will come and so will be limited in how much he asks from the Lord even though he can use 2 million dollars in his ministry.
In October 1993, when we have decided to sell our house, we began to advertize it for sale. For the house to be attractive in order to sell, we need to make the grasses green in the front lawn. But throughout the hot summer season I did not water the grasses and they have dried up. When I realized this, my wife and I started to water the grasses. For days we were spraying the grasses and they all looked like dead. There didn't seem to be any sign of recovery in them. At one point my wife carried the children's portable plastic swimming pool to the front lawn, filled it with water hoping to turn it over in order to really soak the grasses. She did not realize that it would be too heavy to turn over after it was filled with water. While we were so frustrated, I said to myself: "what we really need is rain". But it was not rainy season yet, and the weather forecast did not see any rain in sight. When I was praying in the night, I told the Lord that I desperately need rain to turn my grasses green. Not just a little sprinkle. But days of rain! The Lord said I should just say what I want and it will be so. Therefore I commanded the rain to fall in the morning for about 3 inches of rain, and for 2 to 3 days in a row. I told my wife she should not worry about watering the grass anymore because rain is coming. She said there is no rain in the forecast for days. I replied "I have asked for rain, and there shall be rain tomorrow". By the morning light there was a torrential downpour of rain like a flood. It was a record of rain that day. The rain fell three times like that until my house was almost flooded, and I had to ask heaven to stop the rain: "I have had enough", I said. This testimony is the reason why I said earlier that what you ask from the Lord and how much you ask for depends upon how you believe and the understanding you have of the position we have with God.
An example of faith that is not afraid to ask God for a big thing is seen in Joshua. When the battle was not completed and the day was growing dark, Joshua commanded the sun to stand still in the sky and the moon also: "Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stool still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day" (Josh.10:12-13). For one thing, God put it in his heart to ask for it. And the faith that is not afraid to ask will not doubt but will ask, "in order that God may show his mighty hand on our behalf". God gave to Adam to have dominion over all the earth and to subdue it. You subdue the earth when you can control all the elements that can affect the earth, whether rain, wind, radiation or the sun flares. "AND GOD SAID, LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS; AND LET THEM HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA, AND OVER THE FOWL OF THE AIR, OVER THE CATTLE, AND OVER ALL THE EARTH" (Gen.1:26).But someone may point out the verse that say "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God". Are we tempting God if we ask for some big things? It depends upon whether there is decisive need for what you are asking for. It also depends on how you ask. For example, if your son comes to you whinning, and saying "every other parent has bought a bicycle for their kids except you, etc, etc", it sounds like the son is tempting his parent. The hebrews in the wilderness were whinning that they had rather stayed in Egypt, around the pots of meat, than to travel in the wilderness to a promised land. It was recorded against them that "they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust". "He rained flesh also upon them as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitation. So they did eat, and were filled: for he gave them their own desire." But many of them were plagued for lusting. (Psa.78:18,27-31). However, the Lord himself promised to give us as much as we can carry, but we must have proper attitude: "OPEN THY MOUTH WIDE AND I WILL FILL IT". (Psa.81:10). Therefore our approach towards Him is very important along with the understanding of his will for us, which are already written down in the scriptures. Should we ask or shouldn't we ask for something we desire? That question should be settled by the written word of God. Such question in the heart has hindered a lot of believers' prayers. It is not proper when in some churches they pray that "Lord if it be thy will, let this friend of ours be healed." The will of the Lord has been written down in the scriptures!
In a vision one morning, I saw two men fighting and one fell down dead. I went near to raise him up, and as I was calling him back to life, the Holy Ghost took me up to the other side where I saw the man, whom I was calling back to life, tied to a stake. Some men were around. I yelled "why should he be tied to stake, let this man go". The fellow who was responsible for it looked at me questionably as if to say "who are you to tell me that?" When our eyes met, I repeated my statement firmly yet softly, "let this man go!" He waived his hand in approval and the man's chains were loosed, so that he stood up and came to me. As we were about to leave, someone spoke and said: "shouldn't we ask the Father's will about this?" (In other words, as some people usually pray on earth: "Lord if it be thy will, let this man live".) But immediately, a voice from above responded: "THE FATHER'S WILL IS ALREADY WRITTEN DOWN IN THE SCRIPTURES". So we were allowed to leave. Yea, the vision was specifically about the right we have to call the dead back to life. But the word is the same for anything, and all things we desire to have: The Father's will is already written down in the scriptures. Sons of God simply need to know about it and exercise their authority in the spirit. "Yea my will is in my word", saith the Lord. Be confident therefore to ask! Search the scriptures also so that you may know what is freely given to us of God. (1 Cor.2:12). God bless you!