It is Okay to Ask

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (New King James Version)

I am sure most of us have heard the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” I have often had that mentality when it came to living the Christian life. I knew when I received Christ as my Savior that it was apart from any works I could muster on my own. The only thing I could bring to God was an open heart to receive His gift of salvation. But somewhere along the line it seemed (in my mind) that the rules had changed and I was expected to pull my own weight so to speak. The Christian life became daunting because it was viewed through what I was doing for God rather than who I was in Christ and what He was still doing in me. I felt “on my own” in many respects and mistakenly thought God was looking for me to go through life seldom asking for His help. Commands were something I should obey in my own strength. Change was something I should incorporate on my own through behavior modification. While I might have prayed for strength, patience, and grace I knew little of getting specific in the areas in which I needed help. So I floundered….for decades.

I am encouraged this morning by what I am seeing David request of God in Psalm 119. In a day when I hear so much about free will and choice I am relieved to know I can ask God to intervene and make changes in me! David had no trouble asking God to take over in the following areas: Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law (v.18), make me understand the way of Your precepts (v.27), remove from me the way of lying (v.29), make me walk in the path of Your commandments (v.35), and incline my heart to Your testimonies (v.36). Somehow David knew it was okay to ask God to do in him what he was unable to do for himself. While it was necessary for David to cooperate with God, he knew he could ask God to change him as well as infuse him with the desire to change.

As I consider areas such as forgiveness, love, compassion, kindness, diligence, witnessing, submission, and right thinking, I am encouraged to know that I can ask God to “make me” walk in His ways and turn my heart to follow Him. He is not offended that I should ask….He is delighted that I would! He knows my weaknesses and propensity toward sin. He knows on my own I will not choose His ways. And He invites me to bring the cries for help to Him so He can masterfully do what needs to be done in me. He is the potter, I am the clay. He is the vine, I am the branch. He is the shepherd, I am the sheep. He is the initiator, I am the responder. What precious roles!

Father, how You must ache when I possess wrong perspectives of You and the Christian life. How You must delight when I finally ask for help. Amen.

Power of Your Love - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6Qtxzd6vk&feature=fvw

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.