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.
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something.
Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building a career, or amassing possessions. While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation were so great that nothing on this earth could compare to doing His work.
Paul said that nothing in his life mattered as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission of ...