Ask and We Shall Receive | James 1:5-6

When I first surrendered my life to Christ, I went to God with a list of things that I wanted to do differently in my life. Little did I know at the time that I was treating Jesus like some sort of Santa Claus. I figured if I asked nicely and was a good boy, then surely Jesus would answer my prayer. However, when we study passages of Scripture like James 1:5-6 in the proper context, we see God has a different way of answering our prayers.

James tells his readers, a group of people facing the harsh punishment of the Roman government, to ask and don’t doubt that God is at work in fulfilling His promises. Unfortunately, this is where many people miss out on the wisdom God wants to give them. People want God to use a water pale and, instead, God allows a storm to come. Whereas people want a free gift left on their porches, God rattles the foundation of their faith and shows them their structural weaknesses.

Think about it this way, you notice that your roof is starting to look old. However, this year has been dry and you haven’t seen a drop of rain leak through your ceiling. Is that a sign that your roof isn’t in as bad of shape as you may have thought? Absolutely not, and if you wait for the next big storm, you will have all the proof you need to affirm your dire need to put a new roof on your house.

The same goes for our Christian walks. The storms of life, show us our weakness. God uses these events to show us places to return to Him and ask Him to go to work. The problem is, so many of us have been taught to survive the hard times and then thrive in the good times that we miss out on the opportunities to grow when times are difficult. I want to change this mindset.

I want us to embrace the hard times because these are the times we see where we can grow. Rather than hiding from the imperfections that are revealed, admit them, and trust God that He is going to work to sanctify you. There is not a person alive today, outside of Jesus who is alive in heaven, who God wants to remain as they are. He wants us all to grow more in His image. Starting today, let’s ask God for what we lack, and trust that we will give us what we ask for in faith.