Asking and Receiving Even Small Things

Asking and receiving from God is an important concept in the Sermon on the Mount.

What Jesus described runs the gamut in Christian circles between the “name it and claim it,” group and those with a more nuanced approach to prayer.

The question came up recently when I wrote an Utmost Response for July 16.

Oswald Chambers had some insightful words on that day’s reading from My Utmost for His Highest.

Biddy titled his post The Concept of Divine Control–which should give us a hint of their thoughts on the subject!

“Jesus urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.”

Wait–trust in God’s control?

What are we really asking?

For most of us, prayer is about asking.

We make requests of God, usually for ourselves and often for others.

It means we’ve recognized a need and we’re appealing to God for an answer.

Sometimes we even remember we’re dealing with the Creator of the Universe whose plans are perfect–for the Universe and for us.

We need to ask ourselves–do we really want His will to be done?

Can we trust Him if we don’t get the answer we hope for?

Does God really love us?

Why not rest in peace and let Him control situations rather than trying to do it ourselves?

Maybe something else, however, is going on?

As Oswald explains,

“There are times, says Jesus, when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but trust Him.”

Look at that word “cannot.” It’s not because God is not capable, but rather because He knows allowing us to spend time in uncertainty can cause our faith to mature.

Most of us don’t like to admit we grow more during difficulties than in a life of ease. 🙁

“Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it.”

Oswald understood the confusion:

“At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. “

Since He knows the future, the past and the present, God’s prism is bigger than ours.

He sees us through a lens of His plans

“Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him.

Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7).”

Asking for anything?

Nothing is too small for God–and, yes, that includes asking for parking places.

Timeliness, however, may be another matter.

I removed my wedding rings to make dough one day, setting them on the counter.

After I finished cooking and cleaning the kitchen, after the children returned from school, snacked, and left again, I looked for those rings.

Gone.

Half an hour later, as I walked down the hallway, I stopped by the closet and asked my silly prayer, “Okay, God, where are the rings?”

An image came to mind of the kitchen kickboard near the sink.

(You know–the place where you put your toes while working at the counter?)

I marched back down the hall and found the gold band.

“Okay, God. Where’s the other ring?”

No answer.

Sometimes the answer is wait.

I enlisted the children to hunt and posted a reward on the front door.

No engagement ring.

But, at least I had the band.

A year later, I walked down the hallway and opened the closet door.

I picked up my cardboard Cub Scout box filled with papers and carried it out the front door, across two driveways and lawns to my neighbor’s house.

The Cubmaster led his meeting, I pulled items in and out of the box, and afterward retraced my steps home.

I tossed the box back onto the closet floor, but before I closed the door, something flew through the air and landed at my feet.

Standing at the same place where I’d prayed for my rings a year before, I saw the engagement ring.

A ring is a small thing, but the boost in finding it shocked and encouraged my soul.

Why did it take so long?

I don’t know.

Perhaps I needed to grow spiritually without that beautiful ring?

Who knows?

Other than being thankful God answered even a small prayer, finding a lost ring isn’t significant.

It’s certainly not as big an answer to prayer as someone’s life, health, home, security or any other enormous prayer request.

But it showed some children and it reminded me that God looks at even the small parts of our life.

Asking may result in an answer different from what we hope.

But, can I trust the Creator of the Universe to give me what I need instead of what I want?

Sometimes asking results in a “no.”

All of us have been disappointed when God answered our prayer request with a “no.”

I’m still grieving a no that  I’ll never have an answer for this side of heaven.

I ask “why?” and get no answer.

My only response is to fall back on years of walking with Jesus and ask myself, “Can I still trust Him?”

Do I have a choice?

Oswald again:

“Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties . . .  remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this.”

The Holy Spirit knows.

God loves me.

Jesus wept.

I choose, this day, to believe God–in the small and the big–and to keeping asking, waiting and accepting.

He tells me I can do all those things under His grace–which is sufficient for all my needs.

Thanks be to God the answer does not depend on me.

How has God answered big and small prayers in your life?

Tweetables

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Oswald Chambers on asking and receiving. Click to Tweet