Four Valuable Lessons Learned through Asking (Matthew 21:22)
By Lynette Kittle
Today’s Bible Verse: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” – Matthew 21:22
When hired as a Senior Publicist for a large publishing house, I had to hit the floor running and learn fast how to ask for pretty much everything.
Publicity is all about being bold enough to ask everyone you can to spotlight your clients and their resources. It’s continually seeking out and asking for opportunities.
A big stretch for me was learning how to push past my own insecurities and fears in asking. Although starting out feeling awkward and uncomfortable in my requests, it became easier the more I did it, and eventually became like second nature.
Below are four valuable lessons learned through asking.
1. Asking Doesn’t Have to Hurt
What’s the worst thing about asking? Someone might say no. That’s it.
Learning to not take “no’s” personally frees us to ask without fear, which is good training in learning how to boldly approach with confidence in asking God for everything (Hebrews 4:16).
If unsure what we’re asking is God’s will, we don’t have to fear because if we are not asking for the right things, we’ll learn because God will let us know.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).
2. Asking Opens Doors
Jesus is our example of stepping out to knock and ask for doors to be opened.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
3. Asking Leads to Answers
James 4:2, explains how we often don’t have things just because we aren’t asking.
To my surprise in asking, there were people who responded in ways I didn’t see coming. Some I thought would say yes, didn’t. Others I didn’t think would even respond said yes, even exceeding my expectations at times.
Because I depended on God’s leading in asking and not leaning on my own limited understanding, amazing things happened. Like Proverbs 3:5 urges, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Opportunities I hadn’t even imagined came to be because I asked. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imaging, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
4. Asking Glorifies God
As a senior publicist, I relied heavily on God to help me in the where, when, who, and how to ask for opportunities. And when the successes came, God received the glory.
Likewise when seeing our prayers answered, our goal should be to give Him the credit for moving on our behalf. As Jesus told us in John 14:13, our successes are all about bringing glory to God. “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
