Don’t Hesitate – Just Ask!

Sing a new song to the Lord!
He has worked miracles,
and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has shown the nations
that he has the power to save and to bring justice.
3 God has been faithful in his love for Israel,
and his saving power is seen everywhere on earth.
4 Tell everyone on this earth to sing happy songs in praise of the Lord.
5 Make music for him on harps.
Play beautiful melodies!
6 Sound the trumpets and horns and celebrate with joyful songs for our Lord and King!
7 Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures,
and the earth to shout with all of its people.
8 Order the rivers to clap their hands,
and all of the hills to sing together.
9 Let them worship the Lord!
He is coming to judge everyone on the earth,
and he will be honest and fair.                                      Psalm 98 (CEV)

I’m going to start today with where I started after reading this song. I prayed for someone who is ill and I prayed for myself. I ask that if you are reading this, stop now and pray for us too. Thank you.

Like many of the psalms, the writer expresses his faith in his LORD because He is powerful and able to save no matter the circumstance. The writer expresses himself well with music and so he praises God with music. He believes that his LORD is worthy of all thanksgiving and praise because he has a never-ending list of what God has done.

Maybe you know someone like the one I am praying for who is ill and modern medicine does not have a “cure.” And maybe you have prayed for people before and it appears that it was not God’s plan to bless with an easily seen healing. And so you wonder if you should bother to ask God again.

Maybe you are praying for yourself like I am. I know how unworthy I am to receive God’s blessings of healing and mercy and His love. My list of sins is long and – do I actually believe that my Father God will run out of mercy or patience? Do I think that Jesus could never cover my sins? It doesn’t say that anywhere in the Bible, does it? No, Jesus covers every one of my sins. And His love, manifested on the Cross, is greater than I can imagine.

Ask. James came right out and said that “you don’t have because you do not ask!” and “if you ask and don’t receive, it’s because you ask with the wrong motives” (James 4:2-3). How do I correct this? Spend time with Jesus and listen! Tell Jesus what I want and then listen. It’s not complicated but it does go against my take charge nature. It’s time to make a change.

I am praying today but my prayers are ending in praise because I know to Whom I am speaking and I have faith that before I even called out to Him, He was right here and already answering.

In the Garden written by C. Austin Miles and sung by Alan Jackson