The Power of Asking

And as he went out of the temple ... Jesus ... said ... Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another ... Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? - Mark 13:1b-4a

Jesus publically predicted the coming Jewish temple's destruction. Privately, four disciples later asked for the details which he gave.

Had they not asked we would not have those details.

Parents of sons understand this concept. Once, while grousing at a son for not giving me advance notice of something, he informed me he said nothing because I did not ask.

Jesus' method of teaching was, and still is, to give to those who take the time to sit down with him and ask. If there is no time and no asking there will be nothing given.

- fritz

Asking, not demanding

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" - Matthew 7:7 (KJV)

We naturally think this is Jesus' directive for prayer. The context, however, is personal, human, relationships - specifically family; brothers, sons. Only then does Jesus indicate how much better the Father responds.

God wants our relationships to others conducted the same way as our relationship with Him; asking, seeking, knocking - not demanding, hunting, and pushing.

I am seeing how demanding obedience, insisting on my own way, and condemning non compliance is NOT the relationship God has with me or anyone else. Life and growth comes where and when there is respect, requests, and the freedom to say/receive "no" without condemnation.

- fritz