You Have Not Because You Ask Not

This morning was a running late, burnt eggs, clothes dirty before we even left the house kind of morning.  It was quickly turning into "one of those days".  I knew I had a busy day filled with dentist appointments, grocery shopping and lots of errands.  I got in the car and prayed, "Lord, I'm worn out and it's not even 9AM".  He responded, (not audibly, but in a very clear way), "It's okay... I'm not".  "Okay Lord I'm running on your strength today..."

And I did.  By this afternoon I was feeling somewhat superhuman with everything I had accomplished -- with a smile on my face nonetheless.  A complete 180 from the morning I'd had.  There was most definitely some divine intervention involved.  And although my day was filled with fairly insignificant things (in the grand scheme of things) He was there.  And if He cares about the little things like dentist appointments and grocery shopping, how much more does He care about the big things in our lives.

James 4:2 teaches that we have not because we ask not.  So often I stress over things that I have not even gone to the Lord in prayer about.  The bible says we are to boldly approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), believing that we will receive what we ask (Matthew 21:22).  "God is not offended by our request for supernatural intervention" Beth Moore, Believing God.

But what happens when we ask and we don't feel any divine intervention?  I've definitely been there.  Prayed about something believing completely.  And I waited... and waited... and for some things I am still waiting.  Beth Moore taught me something that absolutely changed my walk entirely.  Through her bible study "Believing God" I learned to trust the Lord completely.  Period.  I trust Him when he answers "Yes".  I trust Him when He answers "No". I trust Him in the good and I trust Him through the bad.  I trust Him completely.  Period.  You see when we pray trusting Him completely we remove any contingency's put on our faith.  We trust that His plans are ALWAYS to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11).  So when we pray and he does answer "No", we trust that His plans are always better than our wildest dreams (Ephesians 3:20).

I was reminded today that so often I face difficult days on my own simply because I haven't asked the Lord for His strength to get me through.

And reminded of the power even a simple prayer makes...