“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
Illustration
Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So, we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.” Source: Character out of Chaos, David Dykes
God has provided all the necessary information for believers to live victoriously on earth, in His word. He does not leave us in a state of confusion or ignorance. Though, the Lord’s ways are beyond our understanding, He does not try to be mysterious in His relationship with us. God knows our limitations, and He is aware how easy it is for us to get discouraged when we are vexed by the issues of life. Therefore, He provides step-by-step instructions for getting what we need from Him.
According to Matthew 7:7-8, when we need something from God, all we should do is ask. We do not have to beg, plead, whine, or cry. Just ask! “For everyone who asks receives.” We may not get exactly what we ask for, but we will certainly receive what we need. One of the reasons we may not always get exactly what we ask for is because God will not give us something that may hurt us in the long run. Looking back through the lens of time, I have asked for many things I am so glad I did not receive.
This is what makes prayer such a power spiritual exercise. The moment we go to the Lord in prayer to ask Him for something, He begins to work. Depending on who we are, where we are, and why we are making the request, it may take a while for us to receive what we are requesting. But we stir the heart of God when we present our petitions before Him. When we ask God for something, it confirms our dependency on Him and our trust in Him. The Lord always responds to those who trust Him and depend on Him. God always exceeds our expectations.
When we ask, we affirm the power of God and activate our faith in God to mobilize the resources of heaven on our behalf. Asking is taking ownership of our spiritual inheritance as joint heirs with Christ Jesus. It is our statement to powers and principalities that we believe the word of God and know the Lord can do what we ask by faith according to His will.
The interesting thing is that whatever we are going to ask for has already been provided in the spiritual realm. Before the Children in today's illustration asked God to provide the hot water bottle and the doll for the premature baby and her sister, God had already instructed a group of ladies in England to put a care package together with a hot water bottle and a doll five months ahead. Wow! He knew what the baby and her sisters would need, and provided these items five months before the baby was even born.
Let me encourage you to ask and keep on asking until God answers. The Lord knows exactly what you need before you need it. He has already made provisions for your need. Just ask! Asking, therefore, is really about timing. When you ask, you are simply telling God the time has come for Him to give you what He had already planned to give you.
Questions for Personal Reflection
What should you do while waiting for God to give you what you asked for?
Why do you think you have not received what you’ve asked for?
Prayer- Blessed Lord, I thank you for being a Father who knows what I need and can supply my needs. Please remove any doubts from my heart that I can receive what I ask. May my trust in your faithfulness continues to increase notwithstanding how long I must wait for my petitions to be granted. Remind me to come to you for all my needs before I go to anyone else.