Just Make the "Ask"

In these days of economic woes and wartime for the world, we can, sometimes, lose our focus on just where to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. It’s no surprise that our next generation seems to loosely grasp at anything that gives them pleasure, sometimes escape, when dealing with such dismal and traumatic experiences like the ones occurring on a daily basis here in our world. We sometimes wonder why they are all walking around with headphones plugged into both ears, as if they are trying to shut everything and everybody out of there nice, neat existence. They may have a point. Maybe we, the older generation, should take notice and try some of this form of escape. But wait, who would take care of things? Who would work to pay the bills that keep getting higher and higher? Who would put gas in the family car so that Junior could go out on Friday night and see a movie with friends? Who would do the laundry or go to the grocery store to buy less and less with what little money is leftover from paying the bills? Who would stress and worry over the fact that there’s “too much month and not enough money?” Who would be the one to “make the ask.”We are raising a generation of young people who are zoning out at the first sign of trouble. They are not even waiting for the sign, but merely zoning out so that they don’t see the problems coming.

As the adults in this scenario, we need to start teaching our children how to pray to our loving God. This is a very simple process, particularly if you teach them just where everything comes from in the first place. It is my observation that we (self included) have become very lazy when it comes to prayer. God tells us in the book of Matthew that “where there are two or three gathered together, I am there in their midst.” He also tells us that if only we take the time to make our request known to Him, and that we are genuine in the request, that He will provide, as we need, but not as we want. There is a big difference between the “need” and the “want.” God is a loving God and He knows our needs before we even say them out loud. What He also knows is that we tend to “want” more than we need. We, as a nation and world, need to focus our requests upward, seeking help from our Lord and Savior. Only He can provide us with the things we are searching for. People simply need to get out a bible and begin reading and praying. You may need to remove the headphones from your child as they attempt to read God’s Word, but eventually, they too will realize that there is no other place to find answers. There are even passages where God’s Word tells us just how to “make the ask.” The answer is not in the latest and greatest music to hit the airwaves, kitchen gadget, or even the newest healthy workout machine, but in the Word of God. We just need to take the time to read, be still, and hear God’s advice to all of us. If we just spend a fraction of the time reading and listening, as opposed to rushing around trying to make our lives better, we would see that He is a caring and loving God. This sounds like a really simple solution. As we all know, things do not appear to be simple at all. Pray, then pray some more. Prayer can take on many shapes and forms, but we all know who we are talking to, or meditating with. We just need to pray. God was there when all of this began, He is with us now, and He will be there when it all is finished. There is no better resume than that.

Just “make the ask.”