I learn a lot of lessons about God from my children. God is always speaking and if we pay attention we will hear His words in many situations. Today one of my children was having a meltdown because they had to do something and it wasn’t working. They were whining constantly because they could not figure it out. I knew they needed my help but I did not just offer it. I am trying to get them to stop whining and to come and state what is wrong instead of whining. I also want to instill in them that they can ask for help. So after whining for a bit more I finally said stop whining and ask for help if you need it, because I don’t feel like hearing the whining anymore. Then I walked away. I went in the room and waited patiently for them to come to me and ask. Then I would get right back up and help them as soon as they asked so they understood that was all they needed to do instead of whine.
As soon as I hit the room and sat down, God said, “Hey, did you get that lesson? Do you understand what you are doing? Now look at how that translates to what I do for you”. My eyes filled with tears. I thought about all the times I said I prayed for something and then said God didn’t answer me. But what I really did was I whined like my kid, instead of just asking for the help that I needed. God says in His word, “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.“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11 NLT). Some versions say, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. That means we are not to stop going to God for what we need or desire. God said in His word that He will answer and it will be good because He is God.
Jesus says in the book of John it says, You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to The Father” (14:13 NLT). Jesus further says, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NLT). This is exciting. That means we must go expecting a response from God. Just like when my child came a little later to me to ask for help. They expected that because I told them to ask for help, surely the help would come. And they were right, because as soon as they asked I made it a point to get right up and help them without delay. They need to understood all they have to do in the future was to ask. I believe that just like I could hear my child whining, God also hears us whining and He is saying just come ask. The best part is that He is also sitting with the answer right there waiting for you. Just as I was sitting waiting to answer my child’s call.
Now I want to make it clear that God is not to be considered as some genie in a bottle, and then you come asking for your three wishes. However, we can truly ask Him for anything. In 1 John 5:14, it says, “And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (CSB). That means what we ask for must fit in line with His Kingdom purpose for our lives. Since Jeremiah 29:11 states what His plans are for our lives then we are in great shape.
This last part is very important for us to remember. After I helped my child, they gave be a big thank you. We need to remember to thank God for what He has done for us when we get it. We need to be like the one man with leprosy that received his healing and came back and thanked Jesus for his healing. Don’t be like the other nine that never acknowledged they were healed. Show your gratitude to God and offer up your sacrifice of praise. Praise Him in advance even, knowing that His word will never return void. So you are sure to get an answer. How amazing is it to know that we can ask and we will receive? Until next time, stay encouraged and be blessed.