Hello there
How are you? Blessed and blessing I hope. Today’s Holy Nougat invites us to think about our prayers of petition.
“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:8 NLT
So, how do we normally approach God with our requests? Do we ask with the confidence that the answer is no? Or with the assurance that God’s Word remains true?
The act of asking is a profound one. For many of us, asking anyone for anything is second nature. We know that it is only in asking that some needs can be met. And so, going to God with a petition – whether for ourselves or not – is easier.
And we go asking, with the expectation that our needs will be met. Sometimes to the extent that we take God’s blessings for granted and fail to be thankful. That confidence in asking however, puts us in a good place to approach God with a request – great or small.
- Our next Ask may be for the ability to appreciate the gifts we are blessed with; or to increase our desire to ask on others’ behalf.
But others of us see the act of asking for anything as a weakness; for it may result in us being vulnerable to the giver – even God. For those of us who are thusly challenged, the possibility of getting a positive response is not the core issue. We just don’t wanna be beholden to anyone at all. Probably life taught us that humans will appropriate power when we ‘give’ to others. Or we got several sermons about ‘begging’ before our requests were granted; or we are programmed to be so ‘independent’, that asking becomes a sign of failure. And, having mastered that theory first; we are severely challenged when we are told to ask God for anything.
- And to us who find a challenge in asking anyone for anything; let’s try Asking God a few times – believing; and see what God does.
Then there are those of us who have asked; who have received. But when it mattered most; the answer was a resounding disappointment! Been there? (Tell me about it? I think I’m still in recovery mode). For us, we are overwhelmed by memories of the Major NO we received and it still affects our relationship with Jesus. Asking requires trusting God to come through and the annoying voice keeps reminding us of the time when God did differently.
- For us in that frame of pain; our first Post-Disappointment Ask is that God restores our relationship (is and God), and by virtue thereof, our ability to trust that God will answer our prayers.
So, what’s your next ask? Remember, when our asking/petition frame of mind is in the right space, it is a lot easier to move forward in asking wisely. But that’s for another day. Blessings and hugs
Good morning
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
