Believe It and It’s Yours
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” -Mark 11:24
When it comes to my birthday, Mother’s Day, or Christmas, I have no trouble asking for exactly what I want. I have an ongoing wishlist on Amazon, just to make things clear and easy for any potential gift-givers. I’m happy to specify the restaurant I’d like to go to, the type of birthday cake I’d like to indulge in, and the size and color of that sweater I’ve been eying. I trust that the more specific I am in my requests, the more likely I am to be satisfied with the gift. It almost always works in my favor. Some may say it’s audacious to tell your loved ones exactly how to bless you, but I disagree. The people who love me well want to give me what will make me happy. They are blessed to see me blessed. Our heavenly Father is the same. So why is it so hard to come right out and ask Him for what I want?
I struggle to be specific in my requests before God. I find myself constantly defaulting to, “I want what You want, God,” or “Your will be done.” There’s nothing wrong with those prayers, of course, but I often say them with a spirit of timidity. I’m afraid to boldly ask Him for what I want, to insist He fulfill my heart’s desire. (Because really, who am I to make special requests of the Lord Most High?) I’ll tell you who I am. I am His daughter, an heir to His throne, adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:14-17). You are too! We don’t need to be afraid to share our honest desires! He has given us permission to seek Him out and present our requests. He wants to bless us, as any good father would. So not only should we ask Him, but we should believe He will answer.
Mark 11:24 says whatever we ask for in prayer, “believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” If I’m being honest, my lack of belief is often why I don’t ask things of God. I don’t trust He’ll give me what I hope for. I assume He has another plan, a better way of doing what I feel needs to be done. He knows better than I do, so I yield and fail to tell Him what’s really on my heart. No more. From now on I will exercise my right as a child of God and fearlessly approach the throne. You should too! Let’s believe He desires to give us good things. Let’s trust Him to honor our requests and let’s relish the blessings that come, just like we relish those perfect gifts on our birthday or Christmas morning.
Study & Reflection: Open your Bible and reflect on these verses.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” -Proverbs 25:2 God doesn’t always show us His hand, but as His children, heirs to His throne, we are invited to search Him out, to ask God to reveal Himself and His plan to us. Doing so “is the glory of kings.”
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6 We are not meant to pray with fear or anxiety, but with gratitude. We don’t need to be timid when approaching our heavenly Father.
“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” -Ezra 8:23 God will come through. He will answer us. Do you believe that? Let’s petition Him. Let’s make our requests known to the One who desires to bless us beyond measure.
Prayer: What is it we need today? What are we desperate for? What is our heart’s desire? Let’s tell God. Let’s straighten our crown and come before our King and Father with equal parts humility and confidence. Let’s not be shy. Let’s trust Him with our prayers. Let’s believe He will answer our call for help. He loves us. He cares for us. He wants good things for us. We just need to ask.