Preamble: You said you want a God-fearing man? No problem. King David was one of God's favourites, he worshipped and feared God, will you want to have a husband like him? He killed and slept with another man's wife - without Condoms too! Now, do you still want a God-fearing man or now you will prefer a God-fearing Angel as a spouse?

Usually we hold powerful and insightful classes on my facebook page, sharing practical truths with the world, generating interesting threads from other colleagues and followers.

For instance, in the past we have explained that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God and not at the right hand-side of God, they are not the same. One is a place of Power, the other is a geographical location of a sitting position. He is the lamb sitted upon the throne, he is not sitting beside the right side of God on another throne, there is ONLY ONE THRONE. We also proved that Jesus once walked on earth without blood.

A few days ago on my facebook, we started a new discussion about ASKING, I shared a few laws of asking, we discussed about being precise and exact about what you want. We also spoke about being deliberate about asking, so you don't assume just because God knows what you want means you will have it, no. God knows all things, yet in his Wisdom he said you should ask.

Today, I want to elaborate more on UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR. There is a difference between knowing what you are asking for and understanding it.

To know what you are asking for means you are sure you are aware of what you want and you are not confused about what to ask, but to understand it is a different question; when you understand what you are asking, it means you know the cost implications, required sacrifices, drawbacks, benefits, etc.

There is an account in the bible that will throw more light into this: in the 14th chapter of the book of Matthew, Herod had arrested John and imprisoned him because of Herodias. John had been criticising Herod that it was against the law for him to marry Herodias because she was Philip's wife (Philip the brother of Herod). So Herod didn't like John but he was afraid to kill him because the people believed John was a Prophet from God. Then one day, Herod on his birthday invited Herodias daughter to come and dance before him and his guest, he was much pleased by the performance of the dancer so he...asked the Daughter to make any request and he will grant it. The daughter quickly went to her mum for a counsel and the mother gave a mind-blowing demand - she told the daughter to ask for the head of John on a big plate!

The King was full of indignation, but you see, this is where I am going, he knew what he had asked the girl because he felt he could afford anything, but he didn't UNDERSTAND his request. This is evident from his utter shock and uncontrolled wrath when the daughter finally made a demand - well John was killed.

I was citing an interesting example in my last post on facebook about a Man/Woman who says he/she wants a God-fearing spouse. You know what you want and you are asking, but do you understand it? If you will marry a Jesus, he won't come home early, infact many times he will be away, roaming homelessly all through Galilee, Judea.

Don't forget he deserted his earthly parents many times to go do his heavenly Father's work! Do you want a faith-filled wife, well sometimes she will laugh at God when he makes promises and when God ask why she laughed, she will still lie and deny blatantly that she didn't lie, ask Sarai in the bible.

You want a God-fearing man? Well, God is about to give you one of his best - David! Do you understand that a man after God's own heart murderered too? Are you aware he had an affair out of wedlock that even produced a child? Do you know this guy is not law-abiding; he entered Holy of holies by heart and ate forbidden stuff? Do you know this God-fearing man was refused by God to build him a house simply because he had blood in his hands? But are you aware Jesus is the Root of David? What is your definition of a God-fearing man? You KNOW what you have asked God but do you UNDERSTAND what you know? Of course, we know God frowned at their mistakes and even punished where necessary, but the point is, can you be as forgiving as God, can you handle it?

About 5 years ago, when my Business was still at Koforidua, I had asked God that I wanted to build a successful company,  I knew what I wanted, I was sure I wanted to solve customers' I.T problems, help people get jobs, make a living, train more staff and also change their world.

The desire was clear! But did I understand what it takes? Not exactly! It was so frustrating that at a point I sacked all staff, locked up the office. Because the few people I have brought on board for us to build the business were all too money-conscious, I was still working and lecturing some courses at Koforidua Polytechnic so I wasn't there full time, by the time I returned, things would have been run haphazardly, I was making scary losses, I asked myself - what really is the price for greatness? 

How much of sleepless nights will it take to succeed? So I took a bold step, I sent everyone away, called all clients and told them; "Please, if you need anything from websoft, call me directly, i have no staff for now." This forced me into regularly staying awake all-night working. 

Then the next attack began just almost immediately, news went wide-spread that my business has collapsed, I can't pay salaries, people are resigning, I lack staff-retention skills, I am this, I am that.

The staff who had left were the new engineers fully recruited at the rumour mill. Was I moved? No. I had understood that, this journey called greatness is not beans stew, so I had burnt my ears, what they said or thought about me or Websoft didn't matter as much as what I can see inside of me, whether I had enough combustible energy to fire my dream at an escape velocity, far away from the evil gravitational pulls of the wicked ones. I remained focused and prayerful, and time proved it all.

You want to succeed? I'm sorry if you don't understand what you just said! Take Dr Otabil and Archbishop Duncan Williams for example, do you know how heavily they have been laid on altars of sacrifice and judged? If you are ever concerned about what critics say about you and it grills for you sleepless nights, and you weep in bed, confused, please forget success, dump greatness in your zoomlion bin, pack your bags and call me for transport fare - I am returning you to the village, go and stone lizards and kill squirrels for your daily bread, grow old and die quietly.

Success is tough, it is hard, it's a very lonely road. You cannot not be criticised, it is part of the package, in Christianity we call it persecution. So when you are going through hard times do not think something is wrong with you, and don't tell me it is not the Will of God, the same will of God sent Jesus to Golgotha - the place of skull, he was beaten, smitten, mocked, killed! Lazarus was stinking 4 days in the will of God! Ah! Oh boy, I feel like preaching!

Let the word of God dwell in you richly, walk in the consciousness of the finished works of Christ, let wisdom be your friend and the next time you ask God for something, ask him to first of all give you an understanding of what you are asking for, before giving it to you, so that when you finally have it, you will have grace to endure and pay the price - in the end your gratitude will be full of joy and void of regrets.

God bless you. 

Godwin Martey is the CEO of Websoft Solutions Ltd.