By Pastor Daniel Shirley
I love to answer questions for people who are hungry to know what God says about the issues of life and godliness. I have a friend from many years ago, who would say, “I don’t ask God for things, because the Bible says He knows what I need before I ask,” referring to Matthew 6:8, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Another friend says we don’t need to ask, because He has already given it to us, so just receive it, referring to 2 Peter 1:3, “as 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.” Still others will say you must ask, quoting James 4:2b, “…you do not have because you do not ask,” and John 16:24 “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
All of these points are based on scripture, as you can clearly see. So what do we do? First of all, God does know before you ask. Matthew 6:8 tells us He knows beforehand, but by the use of the language, “before you ask,” implies that you will ask. So let me sum up the other three verses in an illustration.
Maybe you’re a mom of small children, or perhaps your children are older, but you can remember when they were small. Maybe you’re the dad, but you have observed this, or maybe you can recall your own childhood and will be able to relate to this illustration. I’ll tell it from the mom’s perspective.
One hot summer day your kids have friends over to your house to play in the back yard. You tell them before they go outside, “I bought popsicles when I was at the store yesterday. You guys go play and have fun, but when you get hot and want a popsicle, just come ask, and I’ll get them out for you.”
First, Mom knows the friends are coming to play, and she knows it will be hot. She also knows they love popsicles. So she has provided for that before they ever asked. And though she knew they would want popsicle’s, she didn’t just give them out before they went outside. She didn’t know when they would be ready for them. Mom provided this in advance. She said, “just ask when you’re ready,” or, “ask and you will receive.”
When she bought the popsicles, they were specifically bought for the kids, and when she told them, by doing so, she gave them to them. They were kept in the freezer until the kids asked. Though they are kept in the freezer, they belonged to the kids from the moment they were purchased. After playing a while, one of kids says to the others, “We have popsicles. Let’s go get one.”
The kid says, “we have” present tense, even though the popsicles are still in the freezer. Why? Because if mom said she bought popsicles for them, that was equal to them having popsicles. They know mom would not lie to them, and they know all they have to do is ask, in order to have one in their hand. They don’t ask as if to determine where said popsicles exist, or if they are available, or even if they could obtain one. There is zero chance that mom says “no.”
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” I don’t need forgiveness until I have sinned. So I don’t ask to determine if forgiveness exists or is available. I ask as to say, “I need forgiveness now.” I don’t ask as if to question if I could receive forgiveness, but as to say, “I receive forgiveness now.”
Healing was purchased by Jesus, through His broken body. So I ask, not to know if it is available, or to know if God’s will is to heal me. You see, I don’t need healing until my body has been attacked by sickness, at which point I make my request known, with thanksgiving, knowing it is already provided for me. I am simply taking possession of the popsicle I have in the freezer. There is zero chance that God says “no.”
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