When I grew up as a boy, I thought my parents were poor because there were ten children in our family. With the exception of birthdays and Christmas, I seldom asked mom or dad for anything because I didn't want to be a burden. My sister closest in age to me felt just like I did. Neither of us wanted to inconvenience our parents. And so we seldom asked our parents for anything. And you know what we got? Except for Christmas or birthdays, not much! We were a little jealous of our next youngest brother. He asked for everything and we saw that dad give our asking brother much of what he asked for.
I look back at my brother now and realize, he was the smart one. He asked—not because he was more selfish but because he had a better sense of faith in my parents to supply his needs.
Many people have a sense of guilt toward asking God to help supply their needs. They question whether God wants to help them. They question whether He cares. They have no faith in the depth of His love for every detail of their life. They wonder again and again if they should even bother asking!
Do you have a need? Ask in faith believing. Let the Lord teach you. Be patient and be confident that no good thing will he withhold from you. Say it and believe it! And if you can find something to give or sow into another's life. Plant that seed!
I am scared to ask God for help because I do feel selfish doing it – I have many worries – but whenever I start to think of asking God for help, all the people who don't have a house, a job, a meal, money, or are very sick cross my mind – and although you do say I am hurting ( in my words ) Gods feelings for not asking Him for help, I get this mental block because I know there are people far worse off than me – that being said – Do you feel it's still ok to ask God to help me ?
Read this about asking God for help! It will help you!
I, too, have stumbled across your blog through Twitter. I have been encouraged by several of your posts. I would really like to hear more and see more on what to do about unanswered prayer. It seems like God answers in some areas of my life but is deaf in other areas. It would help to hear your perspective on this issue.
Im asking the lord for strength been sick for a long time now. Im asking the lord for help financially been out of work due to my sickness. Asking the lord to heal me both physically and mentally and financially.
I am praying for you Elizabeth!
Thank you so very much Chris! I am so thankful to God when what I have written has been a blessing to someone! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you so very much Muzanya! I am so thankful to God when what I have written has been a blessing. Thanks for letting me know!
Amazing Pastor Tim. (A biblical quiver full family). I would have never guessed that you came from a family of 10. How many children were in your wife's family? I had a great aunt that came from a family of ten which is hard for me to imagine because I have one sister. She passed in her 90's and she never married and always worked until retirement. After retirement she became legally blind so I always helped by reading to her. I always begged my mom for a brother because I wanted someone to protect me since I was the younger one.
This post is just so lovely and blessed me beyond measure and provides so much peace and hope that one day, in his time, my prayers will be answered.
Praise God Maureen! I am so glad it was a blessing to you! God bless you!
I really enjoyed this post and it has given a small bit of encouragement. How do you deal with being afraid to ask God for things because you feel greedy or that He will say no and break your heart? I'm dealing right now with fear of asking Him to provide some financial aide for me to return to the college I started at before I had to drop out to work, and even though God said yes to what I plan on pursuing while I'm there, it feels too good to be true, like there's a "catch" to it. I'm afraid that catch might be God making me change universities and I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm a new Christian (>6 months old) and all of this is overwhelming.
Grace, the key is to learn God's will. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that 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 asked of him." Here is a few past posts to read that might help you.
Thank you for this posting! I was so blessed by this…..I needed this today and I'm believing God!!!!!
Thank you SO much for writing this! I was the exact same way as a kid, never asking because I have 5 siblings and was afraid my parents couldn't handle it, and that somehow spilled over into my relationship with God. It was just recently that I realized that the last time I ever truly asked God for anything was when I was in my early teens (I'm in my late 20's now). I'm glad I came across this post. And that bible passage you quoted is the same one I keep running across since I've come to this realization. Once again, thanks for sharing!
Truly enjoying stumbling across your blog tonite, Pastor!
"Don't Be Afraid To Ask God When You Have Needs!"!!!!
Now we have a wonderful Christmas testimony on our lips!