Ask and Receive

“What would you like?” is a question we usually ask people

around the holidays or when a birthday is approaching. The reason

we ask this is because it helps give ideas as to what that person would

like, which in turn helps us in our shopping for that person.

Sometimes as children of God we think we can’t ask for things

because it’s selfish. We think to ourselves, “Well God knows what I

have need of and He’ll give it to me when He wants to.” While that

statement is true, God does know what we have need of, but He still

tells us to ask.

Matthew 7:7-11 teaches us this principle. “Ask, and it shall be

given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened

to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and

to him who knocks it shall be opened. Or what man is there among

you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if

he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you

then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how

much more shall your father who is in heaven give what is good to

those who ask Him?”

I John 5:14-15 reads, “This is the confidence we have in

approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he

hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we

know that we have what we asked of him.”

My children have asked me for many things over the years, and

I’m thankful they feel comfortable enough to do so. My answer may

not be what they always want to hear, but as their parent I have to

decide if it’s the right thing at the time or not. There are times when I

say “yes” and times I say “no.” Then there are those moments when

I say, “Yes, but not right now.” My heart always wants to give them

the desires of their hearts, and I’m thankful they ask because how else

would I have known.

Our Father in heaven also wants to give us the desires of our

heart. He though has the perfect timing for all things because He sees

things we can’t and never will. His answer to us will be the same

answers as we give our kids. He truly wants to give us all that we ask

but at times He can’t. He knows what is good for us and what is not.

He knows that if He were to answer “yes” to something for us, down

the road we would have realized that either we needed to wait or that

it would have been better to have an answer of “no” to us. He

answers us accordingly to His perfect will for us, but we still receive

an answer.

Our Father tells us to ask because He will answer us and wants

to give us the desires of our heart. If at the time we don’t receive the

answer we were wishing for, we must realize that He does have a

perfect plan for us. Just as parents on earth try to fulfill (within

boundaries) their children’s desires, so does God. He wants us to ask

and to seek Him for everything.

I have known people who wouldn’t think to ask God for things.

They have thought either it was selfish, or that God had more

important things to handle than their requests. For me personally I

go to our Father about everything because I know there is nothing

wrong with asking, and I believe our Heavenly Father is waiting for

us to ask. I can tell you honestly at first, I was not used to going to

Him for everything – even small things. Now I know that when I call

upon His name for anything, any need big or small or just a desire He

hears me and always answers me.

Look at it this way, for us to be a child of God and have Him

living inside of us didn’t we have to first ask – and didn’t He answer

us?

What About You?

1. What things are weighing on your heart and mind?

2. Are you willing to truly surrender those things to God

through prayer?

From God's Garden Tools by Gina Burns