Well, last week, I committed to asking something big of someone else every day for a month. It’s been a challenge to identify the big asks even just a few days into the experiment. The first few days my asks supported my work: asking for business from a prospect, asking for a meeting with a prospective client and asking for the opportunity to present to a company’s customers. It was empowering to make these request. It spurred my confidence to want to ask for more. A great thing!
And then came the weekend…
In my personal life, the opportunities for asks are fewer. Is it because I’m complacent in that area? I’m in a comfort zone and can’t see beyond it? Why can I not see ways in which my personal life could be expanded? I don’t have the answer. I just know that I need to look more closely.
Asking Big Things of God
It occurs to me that sometimes we need to ask big things of God rather than people. Many of us are afraid to ask of God because we think our requests may go against his will. Or we don’t really expect him to answer. Or my favorite, we don’t want to trouble God or be demanding. We don’t want to seem ungrateful for what we have by not being content. It’s like we don’t believe he wants to bless us.
Making Requests
Could it be that the purpose of the Big Ask Experiment for me is to be bold in my requests to God? God, bring me a new house soon. God, please help me land that new account so I can more easily afford that house you’re going to bring me. God, please help me be more loving and compassionate, to stop worrying. God, please bring peace to my relationships. These requests seem so self-centered and not relevant to my spiritual growth that I’m apt not to make them.
The reality is that nothing is impossible for God – the bigger the better. He loves to display his power and get all the glory. He wants to bless us because he loves us. So, let’s be bold in our requests and watch God work. Ask him to make the answers to your prayers obvious and share those answers with others.
