July 13: Ask

Scripture Focus

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you•. Matthew 7:7

Sharon Campbell- Danvers
Shepherdess, CIC 

There is something deeply powerful about asking. It is more than a question. It is an expression of trust, a step of faith, and 

an act of surrender. When we ask, we acknowledge that we do not have all the answers. We declare that we are dependent on someone greater than ourselves. And when we ask God, we position our hearts to receive all that He desires to give.

Asking helps to make things clearer. It helps to bring understanding where there has been confusion. It opens our minds to new possibilities and our spirits to divine wisdom. Yet, it is important to remember that asking is not just about what we say. It is about who we ask.

So often, we turn to people who are not equipped to guide us in the things of God. We seek validation, comfort, or clarity from sources that cannot offer what our soul truly needs. Asking the wrong individual can lead to disappointment. It can cloud our judgment and cause us to delay the breakthrough that God desires to bring.

Throughout Scripture, we see the beauty of asking directed to the right source. If we ask the woman with the issue of blood, she will tell us that her healing came when she pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. Her faith was expressed through her reaching. Her miracle was released because she asked with her heart and believed that He alone had the power to heal.

If we ask Hannah, she will testify that she wept bitterly before the Lord, pouring out her soul in the temple. She asked for a child, and God heard her. In her asking, she found favor, and the Lord gave her Samuel, who would become a mighty prophet in Israel.

If we ask Sarah, she will speak of a promise delayed but not denied. She laughed at the thought of bearing a child in her old age, but God reminded her that nothing is too hard for Him. Even when doubt entered her heart, God remained faithful. The promise was fulfilled in His perfect time.

If we ask the Canaanite woman, she will tell us that persistence matters. Although she was not part of the house of Israel, her boldness and unwavering faith moved Jesus to respond. Her daughter was healed because she asked with a faith that did not give up, even when the answer seemed delayed.

When we ask God, He is not burdened by our requests. He is honored by our trust. He invites us to come boldly before His throne. In our asking, we find grace. In our asking, we receive mercy. In our asking, we are reminded that we have a Father who cares deeply about every detail of our lives.

However, we must be willing to accept that His answers may not always come in the way we expect. Sometimes we ask God to open a door, and instead He leads us through a season of waiting. Sometimes we ask for peace, and He begins by exposing the things that disturb our soul. Sometimes we ask for direction, and He removes the very thing we thought we needed in order to prepare us for what is ahead.

What often confuses us is not that God did not answer, but that He answered differently. He makes us uncomfortable before He brings understanding. He disrupts what is familiar in order to establish what is divine. We ask for clarity, and He gives us faith. We ask for a plan, and He gives us purpose shaped by trust.

So what is the message? Ask. But do not just ask. Trust also. Trust that God hears. Trust that God responds. Trust that even when the answer does not look like what you imagined, it is still working together for your good.

It might be difficult to understand at first. It might hurt. It might stretch your faith in ways you never anticipated. But in time, you will look back and realize that God was answering all along.

There is purpose in your asking. There is growth in your waiting. There is beauty in your trusting.

Ask with confidence. Ask with humility. Ask with expectation. And believe that God is faithful to respond.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to ask. Teach me to ask with faith and to trust You with the answer. Help me to discern Your voice and to rest in Your timing. When the path feels uncertain, remind me that You are the One who orders my steps. May my heart remain open to how You choose to move. In Jesus' name, Amen.