Just Ask!!

A number of cultures and religious groups joke about how they were raised on guilt! Parents 'guilted' them. The Church 'guilted' them. Perhaps it is more about the human condition in general than about who raised us. We guilt to get what we want rather than ask for it directly.

God's word says, "You don't have because you don't ask" "Ask and you'll receive." Now I know that there is the whole issue of asking with wrong motives as well as the 'prosperity theology' that surrounds these verses. Let's leave that for the time being since that is not what I am addressing here.

Many of us are fatalists and don't feel that we have any right to ask God for anything. He is God after all. He will do what He wills! Or we ask for others but NEVER for ourselves...humble as we are (said tongue in cheek). We may have pushed our needs so far into the background that we don't even have a conscious awareness of them even though they seep out in our attitudes and actions.

JUST ASK!! I have this picture of God shaking His head as we work so hard to get what we want...or think we want..and never actually talk to Him about it. He is not one to be manipulated and so He waits as we figure it out...

I didn't start this writing today to talk about any of that. I just wanted to share with you about how cool the past few weeks have been as I have asked God for certain things concerning my practice. Literally hours later in each case, He's given me what I asked for. These requests were very specific ones that involved others. The phone rings and it is a direct answer to what I've asked Him. How awesome is He!?

Asking for what I need...and My Father provides!