THE POWER OF A BIG ASK
Recently, my elder daughter celebrated her sixth birthday anniversary. We were talking after the celebration when she told me, “Daddy, someone asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I told her, I want chocolate and ice cream.” Hear my response; “Daughter, whenever anyone asks you what you want, don’t ask for small things, ask for Big things. Don’t ask for what you would eat and forget, ask for what will last.”
With that simple conversation, I was able to instill a major lesson into the heart of my daughter. Surprisingly, a few days later, someone asked her the same question, and she responded appropriately. I was fulfilled getting this encouraging feedback. I have changed her perspective about life forever!
What’s my point today? Ask for the right things! Ask for BIG things! Ask for things that would last, not things that are temporal! Ask for things that would impact your tomorrow, not things that would only last for today. Don’t lose your birthright for a mere plate of porridge (Genesis 25:30-34). One of the marks of maturity is knowing what you need per time and what you should ask for when opportunity presents itself.
Sometimes, asking for too little can make God to delay the answer to your prayers; He wants you to ask aright (James 4:3). He wants you to ask in line with His purpose and plan for your life. God wants you to ask commensurate with His ability, not your limitation. He wants you to ask for things that would align you properly with His eternal counsels and design. Like Hannah, God wants you to ask for a prophet, not just any child (1 Samuel 1:11).
Asking God correctly is so important that the scripture actually helped us to define the scope of what we should ask for; “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession” (Psalms 2:8). Can you see that? God has told you what to ask. He wants to inspire your prayers and requests. God wants you to ask for BIG things!
Why would you ask for a local government when God is prepared to give you nations? Why would you be asking for a job when God plans to make you an employer of labour? Why would you be asking for bread when God plans to give you a bakery. I believe that God would answer the person asking for a bakery faster than the one asking for just bread; because the answer to the prayer for bread is already met in the provision of a bakery. Can your request be so big, purposeful and kingdom focused that God would use it to meet other people’s needs?
As you step into today and this week, ask for BIG things. Make big, bold and audacious moves. Stop asking for small things. Stop reducing the size of your vision to the size of your pocket or the economy of your nation. You serve a God who is the El-Shaddai. You serve a God who is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalms 50:10). You serve a God who is more than able (Ephesians 3:20). What will you dare to ask if you know that it is available in God? Go right away and ask! Leverage the power of a BIG ASK! You will succeed!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria