Ask, That Your Joy May Be Full

Smith Wigglesworth told of an incident which happened when he first started preaching. (His wife was really the preacher, and he was a plumber. In fact, Wigglesworth put plumbing in many of the houses in England which in that day had never had plumbing.)
Wigglesworth said that one day he was working, installing plumbing in a certain home for people of some nobility. He noticed the lady of the house would come time after time to the door where he was working, and stand looking at him. She would look, then go away and come back and look again at him. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.
After a while he needed more material, so he sent his apprentice back to the shop to get it. When the helper left, the woman came into the room where Wigglesworth was working and shut the door. He couldn’t figure out what in the world was going on. She finally asked Wigglesworth what that wonderful light was on his face.

At this time Wigglesworth was a plumber; it wasn’t until later that he became a preacher. Wigglesworth was full of light because he was full of joy. You don’t have to be a preacher to be full of joy. The Word will work for you, whoever you are. Wigglesworth proceeded to tell that woman an incident that had occurred at breakfast time that morning. He said that when he had come down for breakfast that morning, he sat down at the table and his wife told him that two of their children were sick, not even able to get out of bed. The illness had come upon them during the night. Before Wigglesworth even gave thanks for his food, he got up from the table, went upstairs with his wife, and they laid hands on the two children and prayed. The children were both instantly healed. They had contracted a children’s sickness that usually lasted for several days. But it left them instantly when Wigglesworth and his wife prayed.

We make a mistake by accepting sickness and adverse circumstances in our lives (John 10:10). I’ve done it before because I didn’t know any better, but I’ve since learned better – I learned what the Word said! For example, our son, Ken, had the mumps for about forty-five minutes one time. But when we prayed, they left him and never returned. We make a mistake by accepting such things which are not from God. So Wigglesworth’s joy was full! And that joy was evident to those around him. God had healed his children and had answered his prayer! The children had gotten out of bed and had come to breakfast healed! That was the reason for this wonderful light on Wigglesworth’s face.

There is a joy that comes when you get answers to prayer. But if you’re not getting answers to prayer, if you’re not getting results, then there can be a look of perplexity and trouble on your countenance. There is an air of doubt, perplexity, fear, and confusion about you. You have the attitude, “I’m uncertain; I don’t know.” But you can know God hears you when you pray according to His Word. And your joy can be full even before you see the answer because you are resting on the integrity of God’s Word. There is no joy in all the world like seeing God moving in your family and in your home, answering your prayers. In John 16:23 Jesus is talking about individual prayer, not corporate prayer. He said,

“… Whatsoever YE shall ask. . . .” Jesus is talking about something that concerns you. Jesus said, “… ask, and YE shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

This woman asked Wigglesworth if she could have that joy too. He told her that she could, but she would have to first get saved. She wanted to get saved and to know Jesus. She said they had a prayer book in the house, but that they’d never known anything about the new birth or about the wonderful joy that comes from having your prayers answered. Right there in that room, Wigglesworth led this woman to the Lord, and light broke through to her spirit; she was born again. She became happy and full of joy because the burden of sin had rolled away.

Kenneth Hagin Copyright