Does the God of the universe really care about your problems? Scripture provides countless examples of a Father that is closely involved in the lives of His children. He has encouraged you to come boldly to His throne with your problems as well.
David clearly did this as he said, “I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before Him; before Him I tell my trouble” (Psalm 142:1-2).
Jesus promised that “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22).
It is a spiritual law to “ask and you shall receive” (John 16:24). It is a rule that was not even altered for Jesus! We know that while on this earth Jesus regularly brought His prayers and petitions before the Father. Jesus asked the Father for permission to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-42). And in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the Father if the “cup might pass from Him” (Matthew 26:39). Psalm 2:7-8 suggests that Jesus even had to ask the Father for His own inheritance. If Jesus was not exempt from asking in order to receive from the Father, you and I must expect to ask as well.
Ask for strength, ask for direction, ask for wisdom, ask for comfort. Be specific about your present and most critical needs. “… in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). He wants you to plead with Him and to “bring forth your strong reasons” (Isaiah 41:21). This is more for your benefit than His; it helps you to consider the relevance and importance of what you are seeking. Take time to reflect on your motives – is it a want or a true need? If you were to receive everything you wanted without asking, would you really appreciate it as much?
All of heaven lies within your grasp – if you would only ask! “All things are yours…and you are Christ’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21, 23). We have a very rich Father and expect too little. Through earnest and persistent petition, wrestle from Him the treasures of His Kingdom. The promises of God are rich and inexhaustible. Claim big, really big, things. He longs to provide more than you can ask or imagine.