The Asking Task

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

(Matthew 6:8)

Connotation

The simple phrase "asking God" comes with an inevitable slew of positive and negative connotations. It may generate joy with the recollection of a time when God came through in a real, non-coincidental way. On the contrary, it may stir up painful or uncomfortable memories of unanswered prayers. It may rejuvenate old feelings of skepticism and doubt. But it really doesn't matter what "asking God" makes you feel, remember, or hope for. Regardless of your personal bias, "asking God" is still exactly that: asking God. And it is something he has asked us to do.

Denotation

So, what do we ask for? A Big Mac? A flat screen? No more debt? Reconciliation? Health? Success? Popularity? Romance? When asking mundane things of a God as big as ours, it can be overwhelming to determine where to start. Like any educated scholar, these prompted me to look up "ask" on dictionary.com. Several different definitions yielded varying conclusions.

1. "to inquire about"

Why not ask God about himself? Start by asking Him to reveal himself in new ways to you, through his Word, current circumstances, and random experiences. These are not as random as you think, and there is something to be learned every day about the one who invented days. With a God so infinite and brains as limited as ours, we will never run out of things to ask.

• "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)
• "Moses said to God, 'Suppose that I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.'" (Exodus 3:14)

2. "to request an answer"

Lost? Confused? Ask. Our God is a God of truth and clarity; although he himself, in his entirety, remains a mystery, he continuously makes himself and our circumstances more comprehensible to us. That being said, God never intended for us to know everything-- he is the only omniscient being, and he did not design us for omniscience. He designed us, ultimately, to glorify and praise him. Often times, honesty and a genuine spirit are necessary before we are willing to collapse to our knees and admit that we do not understand. The best part about this is that God does understand, and accepting that he is in control often produce a sense of peace that surpasses understanding; this realization inevitably yields to a state of worshipful adoration of the only one worthy of it all.

3. "to make a request for what is needed or desired"

          This one is self-explanatory, as all of us are typically in need of something.

• "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
• "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

4. "to expect"

According to dictionary.com: "'Expect' implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur. 'Anticipate' is to look forward to an event and even to picture it. 'Hope' implies a wish that an event may take place and an expectation that it will. 'Await' implies being alert and ready." Anticipating that the Lord will move in powerful ways is essential while hoping for and awaiting his answers and fulfillment of promises.This is an area in which many Christians (who are willing to ask) trip over their own feet. While we do present some requests to God, we choose to predominantly dedicate our time to convincing ourselves that praying little, comfy, safe prayers requires faith on our part. Pray big! Expect God to move in ways you cannot even imagine.

• God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)
• "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)       

Why We Lack
These verses speak for themselves:

• "You want something but don't get it... You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:2-3)
• "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." (Proverbs 16:2)
• "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22)
• "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:5-7)

Asking in Relation to God's Will

Ultimately, this is my prayer: that in the face of the greatest suffering, I would still have the faith to surrender my life completely, just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. While Jesus did presented his request to his Father, he did it selflessly, acknowledging that God's plan was still bigger than himself:

He fell with his face to the ground and prayed,

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

• "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15)
• "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:7)
• "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:24)

A Friendly Reminder...

"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 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)

-Mic