New Year 2023: Ask, And It Will Be Given To You!

What are your hopes and wishes for 2023? Some hope this year will be healthier or no new diseases will emerge. Some hope to meet God soon because of their old age and weaker body condition. Like Tante Christine, she expressed her desire to move on from life in this world during our visit. On Dec. 14 or four weeks ago, her longing came true, and now her spirit is with the Lord Jesus, her Savior. Some hope that they will graduate this year and get a job soon. Some parents expect their child will get a partner or soul mate. How about you? What do you want this year to happen in your life? Is it okay to express our wishes to God or ask God to give us our desires?

Some argue that we don't need to express our desires to God because God is omniscient. So, He already knows what we want without us saying it. Some think that without asking, God will give us what we need. This opinion is valid but incomplete. Let's see what the Bible teaches about asking God for something.

For example, in Matthew 7:7, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." Our heavenly Father understands the needs of His children, but the Lord Jesus taught us to ask Him. In Matthew 9:38, the Lord Jesus also taught: "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." In Luke 18:1-8 the Lord Jesus made a parable about a widow and a judge to teach the importance of praying or asking God tirelessly.

Those verses show that even though God loves us and understands what we need, He does not always give us what we need right away. But He wants us to ask of Him. That is why in John 16:24, the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples to ask: "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Maybe James, Jesus' brother, remembered what Jesus said so that in his letter in James 4:2b, he stated: "You do not have because you do not ask God." Let's think about it for a moment, are there any blessings that God has provided for us but we don't receive because we don't ask for them?

There is an interesting story for us to think about in Genesis 25:21, which says, "Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife because his wife was barren, and the LORD heard Isaac's prayer so that Rebekah became pregnant." In Genesis 22:17, God promised Abraham to give many descendants: "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies." But what happened? Abraham's only daughter-in-law, Rebekah, was barren, so Isaac begged God to give birth to Rebekah, his wife. God answered Isaac's prayer. This story shows that even though God has promised something, we still need to ask for it. I'll give you another example. In Matthew 6:25-31, Jesus teaches us not to worry about our basic needs like food because our heavenly Father will take care of us. And yet Jesus teaches us to ask for it, "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11).

So as His children, we are invited to ask the Father in heaven for what we need. Therefore, let's ask God for all our needs, even, as the Apostle Paul said, what is our desires to Him: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6). New Living Translation: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Testimonial: Four months ago, Daniel, my 48-year-old cousin, married 46-year-old Lily. It was their first marriage. So, they can be said, late in getting married. Many of their friends thought that they, especially Lily, would not be able to get married because they were pretty old. Over the years, Lily expressed her heart's desire and asked God to give her a believer and good husband. In August 2021, on faith, Lily went to a bridal dressmaker to order a wedding dress. When the wedding dressmaker discovered that Lily did not have a husband to be or even a boyfriend, they were surprised. Lily kept praying to God for a husband. Three months later, she met Daniel, and a year after, they were married. Even though it was midnight in the US, I watched their wedding blessing via YouTube.