Confidence in Asking

There are many times in the Scripture that God tells as to ask for things. It feels like God has been highlighting this to me. Somehow I just want him to give me stuff without me asking. It can feel really vulnerable to ask for something, especially if it is a very deep desire in my heart.  However, there are different times, that is actually the one condition of being able to receive. 

"Ask and it will be given to you... for everyone who asks receives..." 

Matthew 7:7a & 8a

"If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" 

Matthew 7:11

I think one thing, is to be confident that God wants to give me good things! He has set me up for success. He is not holding out on me. It doesn't depend on performance or me being "good enough". 

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I noticed some time ago that one of the keys on my keyboard at work was worn off. It didn't seem like a big deal, so I kept using it. However, the other day I realized there were now 4 keys with the letters worn off. I thought, Maybe it's time to get a new keyboard. There was still some question in my mind as to whether or not I should ask for one. It still really worked quite well and didn't really bother me unless I actually looked at the keys and had to think twice to remember what letter that was supposed to be. So I thought about it for a few days and decided it doesn't hurt to ask. But even as I was asking, I kind of had this fear that I was asking for too much, which was quite obvious in the way I asked (at least to me). 

I was rather surprised when my manager said that he thought it was past time to get a new one! We then looked at extra keyboards we had on hand to see if anything would work, but he also gave me permission to get a new one if nothing there suited my needs. I actually really liked the style of the one I had and was pleased to find one exactly like it. However, when it was hooked up I discovered there were some keys sticking, which is probably why it was retired to the back room. This I did not like. I was disappointed but not in despair, as I knew I could order a new one. So I asked for the old one back until such a time as a new one could be ordered. But, in the meantime, a coworker, being the ingenious guy that he is, decided to trade out the offending keys with the other keyboard keys that were perfectly fine and now we all are happy!

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Be brave! Be bold! Ask for what you need, out of confidence that you have a good Father who delights to give you what you ask for!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." 

Hebrews 4:16 NIV