Asking God

https://odb.org/2025/11/25/asking-gods-help

1 Samuel 7:7–12 (NIV): 7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

When I was younger, I thought it improper to ask God to help me meet writing deadlines. Other people have greater needs, I told myself. Family problems. Health crises. Job letdowns. Financial needs. I’ve faced all those things too. But meeting a writing deadline seemed too small to take to God. I changed my view, however, after finding multiple examples in the Bible of God helping people regardless of the challenge they faced. (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread, 25th November 2025)

If you’re a manager, you may face a subordinate who doesn’t ask you anything but just goes on to do things on his own and another who is always asking for help and direction. The latter can be nuisance as over-reliance on you may wear you out instead! But the former may just end up making all the wrong moves and decisions. The goal at the workplace is to have people who are able to work independently and yet keep us updated and coming back to us for bigger decisions. So a lawyer who asks the client or the business unit to confirm every clause in the contract is a pain but one who only picks the crucial clauses for decision is helpful. Which clauses to highlight to the client is thus the skill of the lawyer.

We have a tendency to relate to God in the same way. We tend to think that if we always go back to the Lord, we are a pain to God and as the writer of today’s ODB article pointed out, God has more important needs to deal with than our little problems like, for example, how to reduce glucose in our diet. Of course, there are many more pressing and pertinent needs to deal with in the world. Moreover we are just a speck in the vastness of the universe. Yet, God has an ear to our little and minor issues of life.

The irony of our relationship with God is that He wants us to be completely reliant on Him. In fact, unlike a manager who loves an independent worker, God loves a fully dependent us. He wants us to fully rely on Him – His thoughts, wisdom, guidance and foresight. His plans and purposes for our lives are infinitely better than any of our own man-made fleshly-motivated plans. In fact, the more we speak to Him in prayer, the more we ask Him for our needs, the happier He will be relating to us. His capacity is unlimited.

This morning as we launch out to work or school or start our daily routine, say a prayer and speak to Him in our hearts. The simple issues of life or the heavy issues in our heart – all are good to be committed to the Lord in prayer and supplication, and conversation. It is OK to ask Jesus to help us meet our work deadlines!