Ask God Honestly
Everything begins with our relationship with 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 and connect with 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 are looking to Him. God isn’t hiding in heaven, hoping that we will someday find Him. He is readily available to engage with His people.
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, and even the things we desire with pure motives.
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).
Sometimes, we 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.
So take some time today and tell God how you honestly feel. Ask Him for the things you truly need in life—the ways you're counting on Him to show up. Continue each day building a relationship with Him through Scripture reading and prayer.
Grace and Truth in Jesus
For centuries, the nation of Israel awaited the coming Messiah who would bring the Kingdom of God and make things right in the world. Despite pain, persecution, and setbacks, they persevered because their hope was grounded in the promises of God.
Israel’s wait was finally over when the Messiah, Jesus, arrived. However, Jesus did not come as many expected—in a grand procession or with a large army behind Him. Instead, He arrived quietly in the stillness of the night, as a baby, in a little town called Bethlehem.
But in a surprise twist, this newborn was not only the Messiah who would free God’s people from their sins, but God Himself. John tells us that “the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word exists eternally, but for a time took on human form and lived among people.
Jesus began His earthly ministry in the most humble way—by coming as a baby. But it’s through the person of Jesus that we see the glory of God. Paul says in Colossians, “For in Christ all ...