Just ASK!

I have a hard time asking for help. Often I just do things on my own rather than ask. It’s kind of silly. I’m sure there’s some reason why I don’t want to ask for help. Maybe I didn’t get help when I needed it; maybe I had to be strong; maybe there wasn’t anyone there to help me; or, maybe I’m just a stubborn masochist. But, for whatever reason, I still struggle with asking for help. That’s bad enough in relationships with people but it’s far worse in relationships with God. James 4:2-3 says that you don’t have because you don’t ask. And, when you do ask, make sure you ask with the right motives.

That got me thinking. What do I need to ask God about? What do I need to ask Him for? And, am I asking in the right way for the right reasons? What’s an easy way to remember how I am to make my requests to God?

Since I’m a sucker for acronyms – it’s the English teacher in me – this is what I realized.

A.S.K.

A – Ask – Do not worry about anything, instead by prayer and petition with thanksgiving make your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6-7

S – Seek – Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

K- Knock – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

When we look – Good tells us exactly what to do and how to do it.

So I asked. And, when I asked I heard God say, build your muscle- build your strength- you will need your strength like Elijah- sleep, eat, rest, sleep, eat, rest, so you can run before me and have the strength you need to do what I am calling you to do.

So I ask again – am I going the right way? Am I doing what you want? I hear Him say:

There are three steps- ask, seek, knock

Ask by prayer and supplication

Seek -search for an answer in your word

Knock – Act on my spirit

He reminds me:

You need a bigger pot because you plant (asking for growth) and nourish (Seeking out the nutrients that will make my garden bloom) and harvest (Do the work of weeding and tilling so that you may harvest the blessings).

What do you need to ask God about today?

1 Kings 19:5-18New International Version

5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.