THE POWER OF ASKING
The story of the prodigal son is one of those passages I find myself returning to time and time again. It is a story that goes far beyond a young man demanding his inheritance, squandering it, and eventually returning home. There are many lessons in this parable, and today I want to explore one that often goes unnoticed. In Luke 15:12–13, the Bible says: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.’” Most people focus on the younger son, but today I want us to look at the older brother. When the older son returned from working in the fields, he heard music and dancing. Confused, he asked one of the servants what was happening. The servant told him that his younger brother had returned home safely, and their father had killed the fattened calf to celebrate. The older brother became angry and refused to go into the celebration. When his father came outside to plead with him, he replied: “All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.” (Luke 15:29, NLT). It is this sentence that always captures my attention: “You never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.”
The lesson hidden here is the power of asking.
The younger son asked his father for his inheritance, and although his request was unwise, it was granted. The older son, however, never asked for anything. He simply assumed, silently desired, and later became resentful over what he never requested. I often wonder: if he had simply asked his father for a young goat to celebrate with his friends, would his father have refused? Based on everything we know about the father's generous heart, I highly doubt it. Because he never asked, he never received.
This made me think about our relationship with God. Sometimes people ask, "If God already knows everything, why do I need to pray and ask?" Because asking is a principle. When you ask God for something, you are expressing your dependence on Him. You are acknowledging that He is able to provide what you cannot. Asking is an act of faith. It says, "Lord, I trust that You are the source of every good thing." If we received everything without ever asking, we could easily begin to believe that our own strength or wisdom produced it. Asking keeps us humble. It reminds us that every blessing comes from God. Jesus Himself taught us this principle: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) He also promised: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14)
God knows our needs before we speak, but He still invites us into relationship through prayer. He wants us to come to Him, trust Him, and ask. This reminds me of something from my childhood. I have to confess, I was a bit naughty! My younger brother would sometimes want something from me, and I knew exactly what he wanted. You know when someone keeps looking at you, hoping you'll automatically offer it to them? That was him. I would think to myself, "I'm going to pretend I don't know until he asks. "The funny thing is, even though my answer was probably going to be "no," I still wanted him to ask first! As funny as that sounds, it illustrates a spiritual principle. Sometimes we sit quietly with our desires, frustrations, disappointments, and unanswered questions, hoping God will simply act because He knows. While He certainly does know, He has also invited us to ask. There is a saying that goes, "A closed mouth is a closed destiny." While that phrase isn't Scripture, there is wisdom in it. Many situations that we carry in silence could be transformed if we brought them before God in prayer.
So today's encouragement is simple: Don't assume because God knows, you don't need to ask.
Ask. Ask boldly. Ask in faith. Ask according to His will. Then trust Him to work on your behalf in His perfect way and perfect timing. May God help us become people who are not afraid to ask, who trust Him completely, and who believe that He is both willing and able to answer according to His good purpose. God bless you.
Comments