You did not ask!!

Sometimes we believe that we are not good enough to ask God for anything. We think about all the bad things we did and feel so unworthy to even ask. In some twisted way, we believe that only if we have been good then we can ask…..only then Jesus will answer us. We forget about the true meaning and the power of the cross. We have received His forgiveness and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus says, 'Ask anything in My name and it will be given to you'. I listened to a sermon by Joyce Meyer in which she quoted James 4:2 ‘You have not because you ask not’, which basically means that we do not have something cause we did not ask for it. Of course we have situations where we ask, but God doesn’t give it. He has His reasons….but here is the amazing part….even if He doesn’t give it, He gives a peace when we don’t get it and sometimes the understanding to why we didn’t (ask for it). For example, when I first went to Australia for a year exchange program, I was sold on continuing my studies in Australia. I studied very hard, did all the research I needed to get into the best universities in the area of education and I even applied for a few scholarships (if you know anything about applying….its a long painful process of filling application forms, getting them certified, etc—you need will power to get it all done). After all that, all doors closed. Shut! I cried. A door opened in Malaysia for the first time in a semi-government university to do education. I even got a scholarship. That meant…..no Australia. I was devastated. I went through my first few months of uni sulking even though God blessed me with a scholarship. Not one of my shinning moments…..:|. Seven years later, the opportunity to go to Australia arose to do my masters. It wasn’t that I had been trying for 7 years to go back to Australia…..but when I let go of it, God still remembered and was faithful. My appointed time was 7 years later. When we ask, we either get it, sometimes only get it after a long while and other times we don’t get what we ask for. Its when we don’t get anything that we get upset, throw a tantrum, wonder if God even cares and stop asking. But if you honestly trust God, you will know God’s ways are always the best. Meyer said this, “Ask, release it to God and say ‘God I trust you, if this is what I’m suppose to have, you are giving it at the right time and I’m going to be happy in the mean time cause I’m here to serve you’”. The key is - ask first, now release it and be content even if you don’t get it or it takes a while. But you must ask!! This message really spoke to me---ask and do not second guess God.

If there is something you have asked for over and over again and God has not answered…..trust Him. If He doesn’t give it, know that He has something better…..or perhaps better timing for it. He loves you tooooooooo much to give you something that would not be good for you or at the wrong time. Sometimes what you asked for may not be a good thing, but He allows it to happen as it has a higher purpose to achieving God’s plan for you. Trust God, you will find perfect rest in His will for your life.

“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

John 14:13-14.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,

you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”

John 15:7.

“Until now you have asked for nothing, in My name.

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”

John 16:24.