I once heard the story of someone who died and was given a tour of Heaven. But one special door was closed, and the new arrival asked, “may I take a peek?”

His tour guide opened the door and astonishingly, the room extended for miles in all directions and was stuffed full of beautiful, but unclaimed spiritual blessings.

The tour guide explained that these were the things that COULD HAVE BEEN gifted by God, IF believers had just asked for them. But sadly, who HADN’T BOTHERED.

We’ll have no idea of the power of prayer until we get to Heaven, but why wait until then?

In Philippians 4:6-7, the Bible invites us, “Do not be anxious about anything (The Lord is near), but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

That’s a promise, not a half-hearted possibility.

So, what’s the problem here?

Why We Don’t Ask

With such a sure-fired assurance staring us in the face, why isn’t Heaven literally inundated under a tsunami of prayers day and night from all corners of the Earth?

Pride

Matthew 18:2-4 reveals, “And He (Jesus) called a child to Himself and set him among them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Funny thing about kids, when it comes for asking for things, they don’t embarrass easily. They just come out with it, taking their place as dependent children looking up to their parents expectantly.

Somehow as they age that sense of childlike humility and neediness often diminishes and they think they can do it all on their own — that is unless they have been neglected in their earlier years and, sadly, have long since stopped asking because of abuse.

Our God is not like that. He WANTS to be asked, He WANTS to be included in your life, He WANTS to bless you, He loves you, as explained in Matthew 7:8-10: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?”

Lack of Trust

It must sadden God when we “paint” God with the same brush as we do our earthly parents.

He isn’t moody, distracted, too busy, or stingy, as noted in Matthew 7:11-12: “So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

God’s supply chain is infinite. He knows how to make things happen. But we mentally paint Him as “cheap” and too busy to bother with your paltry little needs.

Balderdash!! He is the God of little things, of neglected things, of broken things, of forgotten and neglected things.

Terms Apply

There are a couple of conditions, including that you ask according to His will, according to what is truly good for you or others.

From 1 Kings 3:10-12:

“Now it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself a long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.’”

And then, there are our motives and our natural selfish hearts to consider, as written in James 4:1-3:

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.”

How About You?

God knows what is good for you and will answer accordingly, so “fire away” and trust Him to give you “the desires of your heart.”

IF you ask Him.