Ask God Honestly
Everything begins with our relationship to God. Jesus made it possible for us to have a restored relationship with God. We can talk with God, spend time in His presence, and ask Him to help us because, as believers, we are called His sons and daughters.
Because of our relationship with God, He listens to us. Much like a child talking to their parents, God wants us to speak to Him. When we pray, we have the opportunity to tell God our needs, our concerns, and the desires of our heart.
Jesus tells us that if we seek a relationship with God, we will find it. God gives Himself freely to all who seek Him. God isn’t hiding in heaven, hoping we will someday find Him. He is readily available to talk with us.
This means we should be persistent in our relationship with Him. We have access to the Creator of the world. Everything comes from Him and has life because of Him. He has the ability to give us the things we need.
However, while we can ask for whatever we want, it doesn’t mean He will give us everything we ask for. Just like an earthly father won’t give his child something harmful, God also won’t give us something we do not need (Matthew 7:10-11).
We often don’t ask God for things because we may feel guilty for doing so. But God actually desires for us to go to Him—even with the smallest of requests.
Take some time today and tell God honestly how you feel. Ask Him for the things you truly need in life. Continue each day building a relationship with Him through Scripture reading and prayer.
Every Good Thing We Share
In Philemon 1:6, Paul says, “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.”
When Paul writes this to Philemon, he’s not just sending a theological essay. He’s writing a personal letter to a close friend and fellow believer.
Paul is encouraging Philemon not only to embrace the truth of the gospel but to live it out in community. Their “partnership” wasn’t just a casual friendship, it was a mutual commitment to living for Christ, growing in understanding, and making the love of Jesus visible in the way they treated others. In this case, Paul is urging Philemon to welcome back his former servant Onesimus—not as a servant, but as a brother and co-laborer in Christ.
Today, we still need partnerships like this. Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey. We grow deeper in our understanding of the gospel when we engage in authentic ...