Matthew 7:7 says this: “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.” But I don’t think I’ve really believed this. Am I really allowed to ask for what I want? This verse doesn’t talk about all the “what if’s” that are in my head. ‘What if my motives are not pure?’ ‘What if I’m asking for the wrong thing?’ ‘What if I’m asking outside of God’s will?’ I think because of my many “what if’s”, I don’t ask at all, assuming God will do what He wants to do and I can’t do anything about that, so don’t ask because I may not be ‘perfect’ in my asking and the answer will be ‘no’ anyways.
Whoa! Where did all that come from? I’m thinking once again my upbringing has had a bit more influence on my outlook on life than I’d like to admit. I was raised with the saying: “You don’t always get what you ask for”, which is true, but it came to be communicated to me this way: “You never get what you ask for” or “You only get what you ask for with a price attached to it”, so I think I came to resent the asking because too often it was ‘no’ or worse yet, I’d receive what I’d asked for but felt guilty for it because of the perceived ‘price’ that was attached to it. It felt that nothing was ever given freely. And I think I still translate some of that thinking to my heavenly Father, even though I understand in my head He isn’t like that at all (apparently, my heart isn’t there yet).
I was thinking about my children today. They are constantly asking me for things. They don’t stop to assess whether their motives are right or whether what they’re asking for is really good for them. They just ask. And they keep on asking. Now, just because they ask for something does not mean I will give it to them. But I’m never angry or disappointed with them for asking. I don’t give them everything, but I do give them some things they ask for. If they never asked, they would not get what they desired. I think God is like that, too. Just because I’m asking does not mean I will get what I want, but God is not upset with me for asking. I can trust Him that He knows what is best for me and so will answer my requests appropriately out of His great love for me.
On the flip side, there are times when I will do something for my children or give them something that they haven’t asked for but that I know they will like. I enjoy surprising them. I believe God is the same way. Sometimes He likes to surprise us unexpectedly. I believe He operates both ways: giving what we ask for and giving what we don’t ask for. But He wants us to ask.
I was thinking about the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8). Jesus told this parable to show how we should be praying constantly and that we should not give up. At the end of the parable, He asked “how many will I find who have faith?” Do I have faith to ask, even when I’m not sure of my motives and I’m not sure if it’s truly God’s will? Do I have faith to believe that God’s grace extends to me in my weakness and that I can ‘ask away’ and He will still do what’s best for me?
Although, now I’m thinking about the nation of Israel. They kept asking for a king, even though that was not God’s ultimate desire, but God gave them a king anyway. Ooops! Maybe God will give us what we ask for if we’re persistent even if it’s not what’s best for us. Well, how can I possibly ask for anything? I thought I was beginning to figure this out and I feel like I’m back at square one again. Help!