Africans never had reservations with asking. If they came to our house and liked my mom’s vase, they would ask for it. If they liked my shoes, they asked. The mentality was; if you do not ask, you will not receive. They never stressed over the act of asking nor did they get their feelings hurt if you said no. They would just shrug as if to say, “Oh well, I tried.”
I don’t like asking.
I don’t like bargaining or asking for discounts.
I hate asking for donations, even for a worthy cause.
I even don’t like asking for volunteers from my circle of friends. I can send out a mass email or speak to a large group but will not approach someone individually to ask a favor.
The bad part is; I have a hard time even asking God for very personal requests. I can ask for things that don’t concern me or things that are obviously His will, but it seems selfish to ask for something I desire.
I know he cares and we are to come before him with all our needs but I don’t have a need right now, I have a heart’s desire. And I have been debating; do I ask?
1 John 3:23 says, “We receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.” I do try to obey and feel I am obeying his leading now.
James says in 4:3, “You do not have because you do not ask: when you do ask you ask with wrong motives.” So I’ve been searching my heart and praying and feel my motives are honorable.
1 John 5:14-15 says, “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 have asked of him.”
Well that is a tough one. I don’t know if the powers to grant my request feel this is God’s will. But it is definitely not out of the question.
So today I made a decision. I am going to ask!
I asked God this morning. I opened my heart to him and told him everything!
Now I will ask of men.
And like the Africans I will say, “If I don’t ask, I won’t get.” There is nothing lost. No hurt feelings, no shaking of my faith. I am just going to ask!