Ask A Favour
It’s when these people call that you hesitate to even pick up the phone!
Reference: v.8 “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” (NIV Bible)
Explore: Do you have any of those ‘friends’ who only call you on the phone when they want something from you? They are generally well meaning and quite nice, but as soon as you hear their voice on the end of the phone you wait in anticipation for those familiar five words: ‘Can I ask a favour?’ It’s when these people call that you hesitate to even pick up the phone! On the otherhand, there are people who rarely ask you for anything. They are self-sufficient and capable of caring for themselves. It’s when these people ask a favour that you jump in to action. You know that if they are asking that they are really in need of your assistance. You are more likely to go out of your way to help the latter group of people as you know they have made a considered request rather than just an easy way out.
Application: The verse ‘ask and it will be given to you’ is quite a familiar one to me, however I never noticed the verses that came before it. I knew that we weren’t just to ask God for anything in the hope that it would be handed to us like a spoilt child. However we were supposed to rely on God in all things. When I thought about different people asking me for assistance I came to a better understanding of this passage. It’s not that God wants us to leave his assistance as a last resort, but He also doesn’t want to be called upon just so we don’t have to deal with any challenges at all. The first group of friends that I mentioned above often want to shirk off responsibility and rely too heavily on others. They are not self-motivated and would prefer for others to deal with all their little challenges. Whereas the second group of friends know they need assistance and yet are willing to still be a part of the solution. God doesn’t want us just to fall to Him to fob off any responsibility. God wants us to come to Him because we desire a relationship with Him – one that is two-way.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we look for the easy way out. Being your disciples is not always easy. Help us to have the strength and the perseverance to be a part of the solution, with You by our side. Amen.
When you come to God for help, are you willing to go the distance with Him?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.