A is for Ask (nobody likes an entitled person)
January 9 - January 13, 2023 | Always Peachy Devotionals | P.R.A.Y. + R. Week 3
We’re halfway through January already!
How did that happen? I know I talk about this a lot, but how on earth does time go so quickly? Wow! Maybe it’s because life is so busy. In any case, it’s a good reminder to be a wise steward of our time, to appreciate every moment we’ve been given.
This month we are studying a strategic formula for prayer (P.R.A.Y.+ R … and here I thought I’d never use algebra). Most of it is based off Priscilla Shirer’s formula in her amazing book Fervent, but the extra R is all mine. And I’m excited to talk about that once we get there, but for this week we have finally reached the crux of this whole concept: ASK.
When you think about prayer, don’t you immediately think of it as a request to God? When we pray, we ask for things. Right?
Well, asking God for what we need (or even what we want) is certainly part of prayer, but where we get off track is believing that prayer is only making requests. That’s the concept of this month of study. Prayer is more than asking God for what you need.
It must begin with PRAISE, acknowledging who God is and why He is worthy of receiving credit for everything we have and do. After you praise, you must REPENT, agreeing with God about any sinful choices you have made, changing your mind about the sin in your life and walking away from it. Then, after you do both of those steps, you can ASK.
Imagine talking to a friend and launching into your conversation with a request for them to do something for you. You don’t say hello. You don’t express an interest in their life. You just demand a resource from them and walk away.
What kind of friendship would that be? Could you even call that a relationship? No. So let’s not make our relationship with God like that. Let’s give Him the praise He deserves. Let’s acknowledge that His way is right and we have strayed from it. And then we can get into the requests, because THEN we will have the right attitude.
God wants us to ask Him for what we need. He says it over and over again. So for our third week on this study, we finally get to talk about A is for Ask:
January 16 - Ask for resources
January 17 - Ask with gratitude
January 18 - Ask for wisdom
January 19 - Ask for knowledge
January 20 - Ask for what pleases Him
There’s no limit to what we can ask God for, just like there’s no limit to how He may respond. But even if you’re in a place where your greatest need is something basic, like food or shelter, you can ask Him to provide that too. That’s what this week’s memory verse out of The Lord’s Prayer reminds us (Matthew 6:11):
God may give you an abundance, more than you need. Or He may give you what you need for this day. That’s up to Him. What’s up to us is asking with the right motivation, asking with gratitude, and asking in faith (which is what we’ll talk about next week).
Today, I am asking God that you each have a beautiful week where the Lord makes Himself known to you in a way you can’t ignore.
Look for Him, and He will be more than obvious.
Amy
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