Read: Psalm 2
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:8
Everyone who prays has had an experience of asking God for something and not receiving it. People of faith often respond to the experience of unanswered prayers by asserting that while God doesn’t always give us what we want, God never fails to provide us what we need. That may be the way God works. But it may be even more helpful to think of God as a grantor. God says, “Ask.” “Make your requests.” “Submit to me your proposals…and I will evaluate them and render a decision.” Like any grantor, not every proposal will meet with approval, but there will be no movement whatsoever if a request has not been made. It is very possible that God will only respond to our desires if we have taken the time to make a request. While there is no guarantee that God will grant our wishes, if we don’t ask…we surely won’t receive.
Do you submit your proposals to God?
Lord, I should make all my requests known to You. If I don’t ask, why should I expect to receive? You may be all-knowing, but why would You act in the absence of a direct petition? If I want something from You, I need to be in conversation with You about it. That makes all the sense in the world. I, therefore, make a request that You help me to both live and pray that sensibly. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.