Asking Builds Character
For many, these are times of want and need. Within that want and need lies abundant opportunity to grow in our character. Not just through perseverance and patience, but also in the act of turning to our Heavenly Father and asking Him to fulfill our needs or desires.
A good many folks shy away from asking YHWH/God for anything because they fear they are being selfish. But the act of asking YHWH for a lot, and often, is actually good for building a godly character! This can be seen by taking a look at some of the the scriptural principles of asking YHWH for what we seek. Here are some biblical principles to get started with:
Ask in the First Place
Often times we don’t directly ask YHWH for what we want. Wishing and asking are two different things. Asking recognizes the giver, wishing recognizes the lack and doubts the provider. Ponder this promise:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)
By developing the habit of asking YHWH for our needs and wants, we grow in our awareness that He is our provider of all things necessary and desired. We develop the character trait of trusting YHWH to provide for us rather than trusting in ourselves.
Ask Without Doubt
Faith and doubt are opposites. The more faith one has, the less doubt. The more doubt, the less faith. And doubt is not a basis upon which we can think we will be answered:
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:6-7 KJV)
But even asking in doubt benefits us. It reveals to us our areas of doubt which are our weaknesses. It also shows us where we need to build up our faith.
Asking is serves as that faith-building exercise. So let’s get in there and pump up those faith muscles! Two factors are involved in building muscle: weight and repetition.
We build up our faith by asking often (repetition), and by making increasingly bigger requests (weight). Not too much faith right now? Start small, and then “increase the weight” little by little by stepping out a little bit further in faith each time. And ask often!
Keep Asking
How long? Until we receive what we seek or until we hear from YHWH why we don’t need it:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)
Remember Paul who sought relief for a physical affliction that hindered his ministry. It turns out he had not understood how that affliction actually perfected his ministry. He might not have found this out if he had not asked in the first place:
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 KJV)
Notice how Paul ended up rejoicing that his prayers had not been answered! If we don’t ask, we might not find these things out. So we must ask until we receive either what we seek, or an understanding of why what we seek is not beneficial to us.
Asking may open the door to new insight in our relationship with YHWH, which will lead us to new levels of action in our faith.
Ask for the Right Reason
Of course, it is possible to ask for the wrong things. This is perhaps one of the greatest reasons people don’t end up getting their prayers answered. Here is one guideline:
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3 KJV)
We’re His people. He has an investment in us. He will not destroy us by giving us the means to destroy ourselves. But be careful. Satan is more than willing to step in and provide the tools of self-destruction. It is always appropriate to study our motives in asking for what we seek.
Asking is an opportunity to enter into self-reflection and turning our ear to listen to the Spirit in order to understand our motives. This will expose our hidden motives that are harmful to our character.
Be Wise
Asking is not an excuse for being lazy. YHWH may give us what we seek, but that does not mean we will not have to work for it. Many proverbs address the folly of laziness. YHWH may be trying to save us from such foolishness by requiring us to put in the effort in order to receive the blessing. Here is one such proverb:
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty). (Proverbs 14:23 KJV)
Sometimes it happens that the right thing to do is to get off our knees and get to work. Definitely ask, but don’t assume that asking will replace doing. He may provide our answer by opening doors, not the heavens.
Be Content
Ultimately He knows what is best for us. And He is also in control. Our current situation is where we need to be today, for whatever reason. There is something to be accomplished, or something to be learned. If we focus on our lack we will miss what “blessing in disguise” our lack provides for us.
It is fine to ask YHWH for what we need and desire. In fact it is an act of faith that is pleasing to YHWH. But it is also an act of faith pleasing to YHWH when we trust Him and accept that He has placed us in our current situation for a reason.
We must learn to be focused on Him today, not on today’s condition of lack or of abundance. Like Paul, we want to be able to say:
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11 KJV)
That’s faith in action!
Be Patient
Finally, YHWH is wise in the way He blesses us. He may not be able to bless us immediately for the sake of not “blowing us out of the water” by overwhelming us. Keep in mind His promise to the wandering Israelites in regards to their promised land:
I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. (Exodus 23:29-30 KJV)
As we can see from all these principles, the act of asking involves more than receiving or not receiving. It also involves shaping our character as the people of YHWH. So let’s ask, and ask often. In the process, we’ll be building the right character!
Father, teach us to ask you day by day for all the things we need. Help us to learn from our asking those things that will make us more like your Son, Yeshua. Show us what stands in the way of our prayers and help us to turn away from those things and toward you. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.
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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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January 27th, 2010 at 8:08 AM
True – I feel vulnerable when I ask and also this seems to put my own heart in proper order and submission, and trembling
January 27th, 2010 at 9:14 PM
Kathleen, you are right in tune with the truth I wanted to bring out in my article: Asking YHWH for blessings and fulfillment of need is a good, beneficial, and important part of our relationship and character building in Messiah. The key, of course, is to ask according to biblical principle of godliness and not selfishness. That alone will make our asking have the effect that you describe. Thank you for the great testimony! Be blessed, friend. Always great to hear from you