Defining Discipleship
Step Four - Ask

After calling his disciples, one of the first things that Jesus tells them to do is ask.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9: 37-38 (NIV)

Ask for workers

The request they are instructed to bring before God is not for their own comfort. Precisely the opposite, because the next thing that Jesus does is send them out to be the answer to their own request. Jesus concern here, as elsewhere, is the lost. He wants his disciples to be actively involved in the ministry that he is engaged in and, after following him, the next step is to ask.

The prayer they are given is to ask for more workers in the harvest fields. More disciples. Jesus' view of the world is a crop that is ready to be brought in, but it runs the risk of rotting in the fields as there are too few people engaged in the work.

Over the years I have encountered many models of prayer. I'm not sure I rememmber a single one which encouraged me to pray for more workers.

Ask for our needs

Often our prayers are very self-focussed. They are driven by our needs and desires. That is not always a bad thing, but it it is not the only thing. Jesus himself acknowledges that in his teaching on prayer.

The gospels are fairly big on Asking. Jesus talks about it several times in the sermon on the mount.

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 7: 7-8 (NIV)

It's okay to ask for what we need. God already knows. We don't need to beat around the bush. It is not the quality, or the quantity of our words which will get us heard. A few sentences further on, Jesus instructs us not to worry about our needs.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 7: 31-33 (NIV)

So yes, we can ask for what we need, but our focus should be on his kingdom first.

In the Message translation, Eugene Peterson renders these verses like this

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

Matthew 7: 31-33 (MSG)

Ask in faith

Several times in the gospel we see the need to believe that we will recieve what we ask for.

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21: 21-22(NIV)

We see this mirrored in the letter of James, in the context of asking for wisdom

When you ask, you must believe and not doubt

James 1: 6

Our fath in God is important. It is founded on an understanding of who he is and how he works. Jesus once famously told his disciples that all they needed was faith the size of a tiny seed. In other words, it is not the size of our faith that is at issue - it is simply that we have it. God is the one doing all the heavy lifting. We just need to trust in him.

Sometimes it is hard to beleive for big things. Faith is like a muscle; if we trust God for small things as we see him at work it build our faith to ask for bigger.

Ask in accordance with God's word

Of course this is not a license to ask for anything that we want. In John's gospel, we see another example of asking, but this one has a condition preceding it

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you

John 15: 7 (NIV)

We need to be abiding in Jesus, and letting his words guide us. If what we are asking is not in accordance with that, we can't expect our prayers to be answered. Later in the same chapter he says this:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you

John 15: 16 (NIV)

The implication of John's gospel is that recieving what we ask for in prayer is tied very heavily into remaining in Jesus, and the work that he has appointed us to. He wants us to bear fruit.

Ask from a place of forgiveness

Jesus also makes a interesting connection between our asking, and whether or not we have forgiven others.

In Mark's account of asking for moutains to be removed, the call to ask is immediately followed by the call to forgive.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins

Mark 11: 24-25 (NIV)

We can only approach God through the forgiveness that Jesus offers us, and that forgiveness is dependant on us forgiving others.

Take Action

• What should you be asking God for today?
• Are there people, places, countries or tribes he has placed on your heart to pray for (Psalm 2: 8)
• Are there people you need to forgive before you ask?