Day 8 - Ask Boldly and Surrender Completely

 SCRIPTURE
13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! (John 14:13-14, NLT)

 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! (John 15:7, NLT)

16b …so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. (John 15:16b, NLT)

.…You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3, NLT)

DEVOTIONAL
I have had the privilege of helping lead middle and high school students in the church over the years. As you can imagine these gatherings of students can be rewarding but they also come with a number of challenges. At the end of each gathering, we would typically ask for prayer requests to close out our meeting together. Without fail, the students would begin to think about every little thing to pray for, including their cat that had kittens, and that they would do well on a test (even though they have not studied). It is sometimes difficult to ask God for these seemingly insignificant requests. However, I have also been in situations where I was praying with someone that was battling life-threatening sickness and disease, praying for their healing. In some dire situations, these requests have seemed almost impossible and unlikely to be answered the way that I desired. It was difficult for me to pray for something that didn’t seem like it was likely to happen.

I am sure at some point in your life, you have been in a similar situation, you felt like you couldn’t trouble the Lord with the small things, and at the same time, you didn’t know if you could trust God in the big things. However, in reading the verses this morning, we could accurately sum up Jesus’ teaching on prayer with one word, “ASK!” Jesus wants us to ask boldly and surrender completely. James 4:2-3 tells us, “.…You do not have because you do not ask God,” but the passage continues saying, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motive.” In this verse lies the beautiful tension that we must manage: asking boldly and surrendering completely. The picture below gives us great insight into this tension:

In order for us to be a people that ask boldly and surrender completely, it takes practice and commitment. The more time we spend with the Lord and develop our relationship with Him, the more we will be able to trust Him. When we trust Him, we will feel more confident in asking boldly because we know that God has come through before, and we have faith that He will do it again. Spending time with the Lord also helps us understand His heart; when we understand His heart, we know what He values, which allows us to surrender to His goodness in all things.

So, how are you doing with asking boldly and surrendering completely to the Lord in prayer? Are you someone that tends to never bother the Lord with seemingly small requests? Is prayer a lifeline for you only when you are facing overwhelming circumstances? Do your prayers reflect the heart of God, or do they look more like demands that you have to feed your selfish desires? Today, don’t miss out on the opportunity to ask boldly of a God that is capable of moving mountains, while at the same time surrendering completely to a God that has a sovereign plan that is being played out for our good and His glory.

ACTION STEP
Take an index card and write down one or two “big” prayers that you would like the Lord to bring to fruition; however, make sure these prayers are not feeding your selfish nature but rather for the good of others and the Lord’s glory. Put the card in a place where you will see it throughout your day, and create a dedicated space to pray over these requests.

We would love to know what bold prayer you are praying so that we can join you in prayer. If you have a minute, please fill out the form below to let us know how we can pray for you.

PRAYER TIME
Pray that you, and people within our church, would develop hearts that ask boldly and surrender completely to the Lord in prayer.

Father, I thank you that you are mighty in your power and able to accomplish anything that you desire. I know that with your very Word, you spoke and everything was created; there is nothing that is outside of your power and ability. So, Lord help me to have great faith to ask boldly. Lord Jesus, at the same time, help me to surrender completely to you. Help me not to use my prayers as a set of demands, but rather let my request reflect your heart for the world around me.