Have you ever wanted something from God but didn’t pray for it? Deep down inside, you just feel like you are being selfish for asking for something when there are people with nothing. What if that feeling is keeping you from a deeper relationship with God? Throughout my life, I’ve always felt it was better for me to leave God alone when it came to asking for things because He had more important things to do than listening to me ask for something. Then I would ask myself why I was receiving none of what I wanted, it was because I was limited in understanding how big and powerful the creator of the universe really is. The LORD is willing to give if we’re willing to ask.

I remember in my teenage years when I wanted to play for the varsity team in high school. I worked hard to improve my skills and grades because I wanted to play badly. When the first report card of the school year came in, I was crushed; I passed all my classes except math, my worst subject. I didn’t fail by a lot, but I failed nonetheless and thought my dreams of playing ball were over. That afternoon I went home, and I cried, not the silent cry; it was that sobbing uncontrollably with snot coming out. Fortunately for me, no one else was home, so I took a shower and finished crying. Then I asked God what I could do to pass this math class. I went to sleep without an answer and was down until the next day after school. That was when God gave me an answer to my question. A resource I had always taken for granted and was too proud to use was where God had led me. There was a college tutoring group in my school, and I got the help I needed to pass that class. In hindsight, I didn’t really pray; I sort of demanded God give me an answer; I never said I was the sharpest knife in the drawer. Ultimately, I got what I needed because I was willing to ask my Heavenly Father for it.

“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” -James 4:2-

Over the past decade, I’ve had many dreams and wanted many things; a big part of the time, I used my knowledge and strength to obtain those things. Only when I gave it over to Christ did I really get what I needed: peace, contentment, and rest. Before, I was not trusting the LORD to help me on the journey to what I thought I needed. God has continued to show up for my family and me in the last few years alone. I’ve learned that fighting and clawing your way to goals can only take you so far, and even when you’ve reached your goal that way, you are exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually. In the summer of 2020, my wife and I were ready to move out of our apartment in Brooklyn, NY. We had been ready for a few years, but every time we started the process, we quickly became overwhelmed, but that summer, everything changed.

After going to Georgia a few times and researching Texas, Long Island, and many other places, we were frustrated that we couldn’t find the place for us. Then, while contemplating putting our search on hold for the next year, we said not again and laid it down at God’s feet. We were patient and constantly praying for an answer from the LORD. There was nothing at first, but little by little, as we kept moving toward our goal, God was placing people in our lives to help us along the way. It was still a very trying process, but we remained faithful that God would come through, and He did. We kept looking for houses, trusting that God would align our wants and needs with His will for us. We found the home we wanted by mid-October, and by November, we closed. We finally asked God for help in Jesus’ name, and He kept his promise. This has been a recurring theme in our lives; we try to do things our way and just bring God along for the ride if things don’t pan out. Putting God ahead of our decision-making and asking HIM before we do anything creates a world of difference, and the path becomes one that will please GOD and glorify his name.

Thank you so much for reading this post today; I love and appreciate you. I pray that what was written is a blessing to you. I’ve never told anyone that story from my high school days, but I did today because God has called me to share my testimonies in the hope that it might help someone. I’d also like to point out that not everything we ask for should be given to us. Sometimes God doesn’t change our situation because He’s trying to change our hearts. Be well, be blessed, and keep Chasing God’s Way/ve.