KJV - And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
NLT - And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.
He hears us, so ask Him
SIDENOTE: At first glance, I struggle with this verse. For me, the syntax is off; but I assure you the King Jimmy (KJV) translation was written as 'He hear us' and not 'He hears us.' It's one of those moments when I have to dig in and move on, and not let my Type-A personality take over and focus on the 'it sounds wrong to my ear!'
Does God give us everything we ask of Him? No. He is not some genie in a bottle waiting to grant us wishes. But let's not look at the verse in a worldly sense. Let's connect it to what we've been studying, and base our conclusions on what we've already learned. (In case you need to refresh your memory, you can find the whole series on Prayer, here.)
What is the purpose of prayer? One purpose is to ask of God.
He wants us to seek Him and ask Him, expressing the desires of our heart.
The 'whatsoever we ask' does not mean He will give us anything we ask of Him. Instead, it implies we are to pray about everything. He desires us to ask of Him everything, because He cares about every single aspect of our lives. Every. Single. Thing. Doesn't matter if it's a huge, life-or-death moment, or as small as an aching tooth.
He wants to hear about it, so ask Him.
He is waiting for you.
What does this verse speak to you?
