In Luke 11 today and was reminded in this very familiar passage about asking. In chapter 11, verse 1, the disciples ask: Lord, teach us to pray. And I started thinking about how often I have felt I didn’t know how or what to pray. I would feel discouraged, upset, grieved. I have bought numerous books and studies on the subject. I have confessed it, but I don’t recall asking!

Verses 9 and 10 go on to say: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. FOR everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

This privilege is for all believers!

I recognized some time back that I was grateful that our asking needed to be according to His will because nothing would stop me from asking quicker than thinking I’d get everything I asked for. I’m simply not smart enough, kind enough, good enough, etc. etc. Knowing that He answers according to His wisdom, His richness, His purposes, His love really frees us up to ask!

So, when we come across those great and precious promises in His Word or those things that clearly reveal His will, and we realize we’re not quite experiencing them in our walk, the solution is not to try harder, or try to work up the right emotions and push down the wrong ones. The solution is ASK!!!

Here’s a few of my favorite places to start.

Matt. 22: 37, 39 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Luke 11:13 How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

John 14:21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself (make myself real and obvious) to him.

2 Pet. 1:3 His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

Another good ask is: Do more than I even know to ask! Do something else.

“Those around us desperately need to be encouraged by our latest encounter with Christ.” Experiencing God Day by Day, Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby