A familiar Bible verse reminds us to, “Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you,” Matthew 7:7. Some translations emphasize the ongoing need to make our requests known to God by saying, “Keep on asking, and it will be given to you. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.”
Either way, that scripture lets us know that God wants us to ask Him – and keep on asking – for whatever we need. The Lord already knows, of course, but by asking, we’ll be more apt to recognize God’s hand in the answer, which then builds faith.
As Philippians 4:6 instructs us, “Don’t worry about anything, but pray to God about everything. Ask God to help you with whatever you need, and thank Him for His help.”
The Bible also talks about another type of asking: making our requests known to other people. Compared to praying directly to God, this might not seem important, but it is.
For example, a young woman in a church of elderly members had her feelings hurt because no one considered her schedule when planning a holiday party for late afternoon. However, the problem started when she didn’t ask anyone to reschedule the gathering to begin after her work hours. If she had asked though, the party could have been planned for a weekend. At the very least, the young woman could have been reminded that many elderly people cannot drive at night.
A more common situation occurs when a church member becomes ill, and no one calls or visits to check on that person. The problem, then, is: who knew? Sadly, those hurt feelings have often caused people to quit coming to church.
To avoid such needless wounds, James 5:14 offers this preventative: “If any of you are sick, ask the church elders to come and pray for you, and anoint you with oil.”
Matthew 5:42 presents another aspect of honoring God: “Give to whoever asks you for something, and don’t turn away from someone who asks to borrow.”
The Bible contains almost 700 incidents of asking, which indicates the importance of communicating our needs to God and each other. Most Christians honor God by asking in prayer, but it’s up to each of us to ask one another for the help we need instead of withdrawing from the Body of Christ.
Honoring God by asking can come in many forms. Consider, for example, how you might respond if someone asks you why you believe in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 addresses this by saying, “Honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. And always be ready to give a gentle, respectful response to anyone who asks you to explain the hope that is in you.”
Not sure how you would respond? James 1:5 offers this solution, “If any of you lack wisdom, ask God, Who gives liberally to all and reproaches no one.”
Heavenly Father, thank You for encouraging us to make our requests known to You. Thank You for caring about every part of our lives. Help us, Lord, to be honest with one another and humble enough to ask and receive help when needed. We honor You, Lord. We praise You. We ask for Your wisdom and Your Holy Spirit to fill us in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
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