Ask for Anything
15-Feb-10
How would you respond if someone told you to ask for anything you wanted? Now imagine that the someone was the infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, thrice-holy, Almighty Creator God of heaven & earth. What would you or I who are by default (Rom 3.23) a finite, fallen, sinful person ask for? Indeed, this is what Christ Jesus puts forward to His followers:
And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it. - Jn 14.13-14
And I think the above context is the proper place to start whenever you contemplate Christ’s question – consider who God is & who you are relative to Him. Notice the ultimate goal of Christ’s provision of what we ask (Jn 14.13) – the Father’s glory. If we think that we can just play this card & ask for something selfish, we are going to come up empty & wonder why Jesus isn’t making good on His promise, which is a very silly thing to wonder. James, Jesus’ own half-brother, points all this out (Jas 4.1-3).
So why does the text say “ask for anything”? This can simply be asking for God’s provision of our basic needs (Mt 6.11). Surely our realization of our dependence on Him & then praising Him for it is glorifying to God. This can even extend beyond our basic needs provided it will end in praise (Ps 91.14-15). This type of reliance & acknowledgement demonstrates faith & is the antithesis of worry, thus bringing glory to the Father (Mt 6.25-34).
However, I stop far short of any “health & wealth” philosophy that corrupts some. If we ask for things out of greed, those things are ultimately nothing of eternal value & therefore don’t amount to "anything" (1 Cor 3.12-13, 1 Pt 1.18-19). Things of worldly value & status have a way of competing with God in our lives & corroding our character (Lk 14.11, Col 3.5, 1 Tim 6.9). Seeing that God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness, He is interested in our petitions regarding our character & faith (1 Pt 1.15-16). Similarly, it may be within my capacity to give to my child whatever they ask, but it may not be in their best interest as it would certainly spoil their character (1 Cor 10.23).
We’ve already seen that the goal of what we’re asking for should be God’s glory & we are glorifying to Him when our lives reflect what He wants for us, i.e. submission which is tragically often misunderstood on several levels. This is taking up God’s mission as our sub-mission - Seeking His will, not our own – just as Jesus taught & lived (Jn 14.31, Mt 6.10, Lk 22.42).
And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it. - Jn 14.13-14
And I think the above context is the proper place to start whenever you contemplate Christ’s question – consider who God is & who you are relative to Him. Notice the ultimate goal of Christ’s provision of what we ask (Jn 14.13) – the Father’s glory. If we think that we can just play this card & ask for something selfish, we are going to come up empty & wonder why Jesus isn’t making good on His promise, which is a very silly thing to wonder. James, Jesus’ own half-brother, points all this out (Jas 4.1-3).
So why does the text say “ask for anything”? This can simply be asking for God’s provision of our basic needs (Mt 6.11). Surely our realization of our dependence on Him & then praising Him for it is glorifying to God. This can even extend beyond our basic needs provided it will end in praise (Ps 91.14-15). This type of reliance & acknowledgement demonstrates faith & is the antithesis of worry, thus bringing glory to the Father (Mt 6.25-34).
However, I stop far short of any “health & wealth” philosophy that corrupts some. If we ask for things out of greed, those things are ultimately nothing of eternal value & therefore don’t amount to "anything" (1 Cor 3.12-13, 1 Pt 1.18-19). Things of worldly value & status have a way of competing with God in our lives & corroding our character (Lk 14.11, Col 3.5, 1 Tim 6.9). Seeing that God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness, He is interested in our petitions regarding our character & faith (1 Pt 1.15-16). Similarly, it may be within my capacity to give to my child whatever they ask, but it may not be in their best interest as it would certainly spoil their character (1 Cor 10.23).
We’ve already seen that the goal of what we’re asking for should be God’s glory & we are glorifying to Him when our lives reflect what He wants for us, i.e. submission which is tragically often misunderstood on several levels. This is taking up God’s mission as our sub-mission - Seeking His will, not our own – just as Jesus taught & lived (Jn 14.31, Mt 6.10, Lk 22.42).
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." - John 4.34-35
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Luke 10.2
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Luke 10.2
Take a look at Mt 7.7-12. Jesus teaches us several things in this passage. First, we should note that there is a progression: we should ask, seek & knock. What we ask for should cause us to seek. Broadly, we should be seeking God, His Gospel kingdom & His righteousness which Jesus has been speaking about (Mt 5.6, 6.10, 33). After seeking these in thought, prayer, Scripture &/or godly counsel, we might even go back & realign what we’re asking for with God’s will. Then, we seek to knock or put into practice what we have been asking for. This is a matter of faith (Heb 11.6). Seek for ways to give of yourself & serve others rather than to get & be served (Mk 9.35).
Secondly in this ask-seek-knock passage, it is assumed that we should be asking for something “good” (Mt 7.11). We wouldn’t expect anything less from a perfect God (Mk 10.18, Jas 1.17). Most of these passages we are looking at, including the “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5-7), have to do with Christian character or obedience (i.e. the Golden Rule - Mt 7.12), so in those proper contexts, we can be asking for God to refine our character – make us more holy – make us more like Christ. Again, Jesus extends the invitation to “ask whatever you wish” in Jn 15.7-8 & clues us in further that it is glorifying to the Father when we “bear much fruit”. This is the eternal fruit of Christ-like character (Jn 15.16). There is an account in the Old Testament almost 1,000 years before Christ walked the earth where a recently anointed, young King Solomon was presented with a similar request for a request... |
Matthew 7.7-12
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
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1 Kings 3.5-14
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." |
Notice the following things that Solomon acknowledged about himself:
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Solomon didn’t ask for his problems & enemies to go away, probably realizing that such things are God’s tools to be used at His sovereign & wise discretion (Ps 38.1-3, Pr 16.4, Eccl 7.14). And he realized that solving problems requires more than just wealth & power, which he likely testified to in his father David’s life (Ps 49.12, 16-20, Pr 11.4). In humility, Solomon asked for wisdom – a significant character component that benefits the full spectrum of life. Unfortunately, he failed to hold up his end of the contract for long life & his life wasn’t particularly long, ~60 years. But, fortunately, God preserved some of this wisdom in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon for our benefit.
But now, we Christians have something larger, we have Christ Himself – the Divine Fountainhead of Wisdom (1 Cor 1.24, 30, 2.6-7, 16). While God certainly wants us to ask Him for various needs we have, we need to make sure our recognition of His provision of them would bring Him glory. However, like Solomon, we need to be asking for character traits that build us into the people God wants us to be so that we can emulate Christ Jesus to carry out the Father's will for His honor & glory forever & ever. Amen!
But now, we Christians have something larger, we have Christ Himself – the Divine Fountainhead of Wisdom (1 Cor 1.24, 30, 2.6-7, 16). While God certainly wants us to ask Him for various needs we have, we need to make sure our recognition of His provision of them would bring Him glory. However, like Solomon, we need to be asking for character traits that build us into the people God wants us to be so that we can emulate Christ Jesus to carry out the Father's will for His honor & glory forever & ever. Amen!
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. - James 1.5