Don’t Ask: Don’t Get
“I didn’t ask you because I knew you would say no.” Surely, my kids are the only ones who ever say this to their parents. I guess it is an indication that in the past I must have said “no” a lot! They often tell me of things they wanted after its too late: “I really wanted this cool shirt I found”, “I wanted to go over to my friend’s house” or “I really wish I had signed up for that sport”. So, I am now re-programming them. My response is, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get. How do you know what my answer might be?”
As I was reading in Psalm today, this scenario came to my mind, so I decided to look up “ask” in my concordance. I found so many verses that applied! Jesus said more than once that we should ask. Take a moment and check out Matt. 21:22, Luke 11:9, John 11:22, John 14:14, John 16:23 and my favorite Ephesians 3:20. The one that surprised was in James 4:2. Now I regularly pray the verses before that in James 1:5…if any of you lacks wisdom ask of God who gives to all LIBERALLY (something I need every moment of every day!), but I was not so familiar with the chapters that followed “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” Oh my gosh…the thing I am quoted to my kids is in the Bible.
What is there in our lives that we want desperately, but don’t ask? Why aren’t we asking…are we afraid of the answer? Do we think it is unimportant to Him? Maybe, to be honest, we are just too lazy to take the time?
I am convicted! There are so many things I want: more opportunities to speak and share my heart with woman and teens, to have my book published, for my husband to have a less stressful job, for my kid’s to thrive in school and not jusr survive. These are all things on His heart too; I just need to ask!
What things do you wish for but haven’t ask for? Are they things I can pray for with you? Please post a comment…I’d love to join you in asking for them!
(PS For those of you who want to know…Rodeo Rafting was incredible! The past couple of days have been a complete joy for me! I LOVE the outdoors. Zach, Greg and I have been living outside and loving it. Disc golf after dinner, late night walks with Oreo the dog and rafting. Wow…this is what summers are for!)
