After Jacob arrived in Egypt, he did not beg for anything. However, when he was young, he begged wherever he went. He not only begged; he supplanted others and robbed them. Jacob expected to have everything for himself. If he stayed with you, what was in your pocket would sooner or later end up in his.
In the early years, Jacob robbed his father, his brother, his uncle, and even his wives. Eventually, when he was old, he himself was robbed and was bereft even of his sons. But, in his maturity, he did not beg for anything. According to his position after he arrived in Egypt, he had the standing to claim everything. However, he did not ask for anything. This is a strong sign of maturity. A mature person is not demanding. Instead of demanding, requiring, or asking, Jacob stretched forth his hands to bless others. If we beg, ask, and demand, it proves we are young in life. We, the saints, should not place demands on one another. However, this cannot be performed; it is the issue of the growth in life.
In any family the children are very demanding, much more demanding than anyone else. The grandfather, on the contrary, demands nothing; instead, he is constantly giving. But all day long the little children are asking for candy, cookies, and toys. My grandchildren are constantly asking their grandmother for things. The younger you are, the more demands you make. You may make demands of the elders, and of the brothers and sisters, but you never make demands of yourself. This proves that you are like a little baby. A baby does nothing except make demands. While the Lord may take some time to answer my prayer, the prayers of the babies are answered immediately. Making many demands is an indication that you are young.
Excessive praying may also be a sign of immaturity. Some young saints, thinking that the elders are not humble or diligent enough, pray for them in a childish way. Not praying for the elders in this way is a proof that you have grown up. Praying improperly for the elders indicates that you are young. The more you pray for them, the less mature you are. If you do not pray for the elders, then you must be grown up.
Many prayers for the church are also childish. Some saints pray, "Lord, I dare not tell you about the church. But, Lord, You know the situation. O Lord, do something about it." This kind of prayer is actually a condemnation of the church. When you pray like this, you accuse the church. To pray this kind of prayer is to ask the Lord to deal with the church. You pray so much for the church because, in your eyes, the church does not satisfy your requirements. Paul, however, did not pray for the church in this manner. Fifty years ago, I also prayed in the way of blaming, begging, demanding, and accusing. But the Lord can testify for me that during the past six months I have not prayed for the elders in Anaheim. This does not mean that they are perfect; it means that I do not make demands of them and that I am not inwardly bothered by them.
Do not try to imitate this characteristic of maturity. Do not say, "Brother Lee told us that for six months he did not pray for the elders. From now on, I won't pray for them either." If you are able to keep from praying for the elders for six months, it is an indication that you have grown. It reveals that you are not begging or making demands.