Just Ask!

"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

— John 16:24

One of the many reasons we should pray is that it is God's appointed way of giving things to us that we need in our lives. And there are things that God may want to give you, things that God may want to say to you, things that God may want to do for you, that have not been given, that have not been said, and that have not been done simply because you have not asked.

James 4:2 tells us, "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask." Maybe you wonder why you don't know the will of God for your life. Could it be that you do not have because you do not ask? Maybe you wonder why you are unable to lead other people to Christ. Could it be that you do not have because you do not ask? Maybe you are struggling financially and barely scraping by. Could it be that you do not have because you do not ask? Maybe there is a certain illness or problem in your life that has continued on and on. Could it be that you do not have because you do not ask?

I am not suggesting that God always will give us everything that we ask for. Nor am I saying that He will heal every person who asks for His touch. But He will heal some. And what if there were something that God wanted to do but it has not yet happened because you simply have not prayed about it? Maybe He will say no. But what if He says yes? What do you have to lose? That is why we need to pray. It is a privilege of the believer.

Prayer: A Constant Necessity

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

— Mark 1:35

Not only did Jesus command us to pray, but He also left us an example of prayer. Jesus was constantly praying. As He walked our planet and breathed our air as God in human form, He felt the need to be in constant communion with His Father. In fact, it was not uncommon to see Jesus praying while the disciples were sleeping.

When He fed the five thousand, He looked up toward heaven and asked God's blessing on the food. Matthew's Gospel tells us that mothers brought their children to Jesus so that He could lay His hands on them and pray for them. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He first spoke to His Father, saying, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me" (John 11:41–42). Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come forth!"

We know that while He was in Gethsemane, He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). As He hung on the very cross of Calvary His first statement was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). And later He prayed, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).

My point is that if Jesus felt the necessity to pray constantly, then how much more should we? If you want to grow spiritually, then prayer must be a vital and regular part of your life. Pray all the time. Pray about all things. Jesus has given us that example to follow. So we, too, need to be people of prayer.

Choosing to Grow

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

— 2 Timothy 2:22

From the moment you get up in the morning to the moment you lay your head down on your pillow at night, you will have made hundreds, maybe even thousands, of choices.

That is why ordering at some restaurants is no easy task. The menu resembles a small telephone book. There are too many options. One of the reasons I like In-N-Out Burger is that your options are simple: a hamburger, french fries, a drink, or maybe a shake. Of course, there are some variations to that, like adding cheese or ordering it animal-style. But that is pretty much it.

Life is filled with choices. There are some choices that don't mean a lot, while other choices mean a whole lot. And it comes down to this: we make our choices, and our choices make us. So if you want to grow spiritually, you will. And if you don't want to grow spiritually, you won't. Either you will go forward as a Christian, or you will go backward. Either you will progress, or you will regress. Either you will gain ground, or you will lose ground. And if you stand still, then you will lose ground.

The reason some Christians succeed while others who make a profession of faith fail miserably comes down to choices. It is not the luck of the draw or something that happens randomly. It is because people make the right choice to do the right thing. There are choices that will impair our spiritual growth, and there are choices that will enhance it.

That is why we need to make a commitment to seek to grow spiritually on a daily basis—not to just hold our ground, but to gain ground in our relationship with Christ. Let's commit ourselves to spiritual growth.

Praying Continually

Never stop praying.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:17

If a law were passed tomorrow that prohibited praying in public, would you still pray? That is the dilemma the prophet Daniel faced. He was a godly man with a reputation for being a person of prayer.

It turns out that Daniel was so effective and successful at what he did that his enemies hated him. They wanted to bring him down. The problem, in their eyes at least, was that Daniel had no weak spots. He was a man of complete integrity. But one thing they knew about Daniel was that he was always praying. Three times every day, he would go into his house, open his windows, kneel down, and pray.

So his enemies went to the king and convinced him to sign a decree that would condemn to death any person who prayed to any god except him. Daniel was made aware of the decree. So what did Daniel do?

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. (Daniel 6:10)

The new decree didn't cause Daniel to change his habits at all. He still prayed. But notice what Daniel prayed for. We don't read of him praying for God's deliverance, but we do read that Daniel prayed, "giving thanks to his God." Daniel was aware that God was on the throne, that God was in control of his life, and that God was good. So he gave thanks to God.

Wherever you go, God is with you. And you can commune with Him and fellowship with Him and pray to Him and hear from Him. That is the idea of praying continually.

Why Does God Allow Trials In Our Lives?

There are many things that could be said in response to the question of why God allows trials in our lives, but here is one you may not have considered: God allows trials and hardship in your life so you can help others. As a result, whatever difficulty, challenge, or suffering you may be going through need not be wasted.

Paul writes, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer" (2 Corinthians 1:4-7 NLT).

There is no better time to minister to others than when we are hurting

It seems that when we are in need, when we are facing crisis, the world should just stop what it is doing and think about us. We think that we need to be cared for, encouraged, even catered to.

But the reality is that when you are hurting, if you will reach out to someone else, you yourself will be replenished and helped.

Jesus said, "If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving–large or small–it will be used to measure what is given back to you" (Luke 6:38 NLT).

There is always someone worse off than you

After my beloved son Christopher was called home to heaven, people commended me and our family for continuing to minister, despite our pain over his sudden passing. While I appreciate those kind words, I must tell you that it actually helps me to help others.

My heart goes out to other people who are suffering like it never has before, especially if it is the death of a child. So it helps me to help them. Even writing these words help me, knowing that they may minister to someone, somewhere.

I'm sure you know of someone who is hurting right now. Perhaps they have cancer, or have recently lost a loved one, or their marriage has unraveled. Go to them and seek to be a friend and encourage them today.

Don't waste your experiences

God is in control of your life, and allows trials to come our way in order to strengthen us spiritually and make us more like Jesus.

Whatever you are facing, know that someone else is facing it too. Perhaps you could share with them some of the things the Lord has shared with you, and "be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."