Prayer: It's OK to Ask

One of the functions of Prayer is to made requests from God and wait for His answers. Never let anyone undermine your practice of making requests of God in your prayers. Christ's clear message in Matthew 7:7 is to "ask, and you will receive." Petitionary Prayer is no less "spiritual" than prayers of Adoration and Praise.

Richard Foster hit the nail on the head in his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home: "When our asking is for ourselves it is called petition; when it is on behalf of others it is called intercession. Asking is at the heart of both experiences. We must never negate or demean this aspect of our prayer experience. Some have suggested, for example, that while the less discerning will continue to appeal to God for aid, the real masters of the spiritual life go beyond petition to adoring God's essence with no needs or requests whatsoever. In this view our asking represents a more crude and naive form of prayer, while adoration and contemplation are a more enlightened and high-minded approach, since they are free from any egocentric demands." 

As Foster goes on to explain (and I couldn't agree more), elevating prayers of adoration is a false spirituality. The very Hebrew and Greeks words that are translated "prayer" mean "to request" or "to make a petition." For troubled relationships, for freedom from pain (physical or psychological), for help with our finances, for guidance in making even mundane decisions, whatever our need, bringing our everyday concerns to Him pleases God.

These requests are the "bread and butter" of our prayer life. It is no mistake that Jesus included the phrase, "give us this day, our daily bread," in the Lord's Prayer.  We are completely dependent on God and petitionary prayers demonstrate that fact. These prayers are our staple diet.

Of course there are times when we just want to praise and adore him. Often we sit in awe of His majesty and holiness. But that doesn't mean these times are on a higher plane or closer to God's heart than the simple requests we make on a daily basis.

God loves being our Father and longs to give us good things when we ask. Never hesitate to bring your wants and needs to God. He's waiting to hear from you: just ask ... it's OK.