What do you need from God today? What's the first thing that comes to mind? Hope? Provision? Freedom? Love? If you find it hard to ask for what you need, look to children for inspiration. They're not afraid to say what's going on in their heads.

In a list of interesting questions that the children asked their parents, the following stood out:

How did they make the first tools if they didn't have tools?

Why don't crabs have eyebrows?

In the old days, was it all black and white?

As children, we are predisposed to ask our parents what is going on, if something is troubling us. Naturally, we turn to mom or dad for answers without fear of coming across as rude or silly. We simply rely on our parents to resolve our issues.

However, as we grow, things change. We discover that our parents are fallible. We are disappointed. As a result, we start stuttering when asking questions. We fall into the mentality of "I have to figure it out on my own."

Although an attitude of autonomy is not bad, it encounters difficulties when we translate it into faith. God wants us to share our whole being with him, the good times and the bad, the joys and the struggles. God expects us to invite Him to share in our pain, rather than hide it from Him.

Our next step in healthily processing suffering, is to learn to ask Jesus for what we need with confidence, just as a small child does. Instead of relying on our own strength, we should actively turn to God when we don't understand and trust that He will help us. We have the certainty that he will not reject us.

In today's passage, Jesus uses the analogy of a child with his parents and encourages us to ask him for what we need instead of trying to live on our own, in our own way.

Part of facing suffering as believers is asking for divine help and wisdom. It is to persist in prayer and to seek in God the relief we need. Biblical suffering includes leaning on Jesus, being vulnerable, and boldly asking for help.

Constant petitions to God become hopeful reminders of His promises. Asking God for what we need stimulates us as we pray and strengthens our resolve not to give up. Moreover, it encourages us to put our trust in God's omnipotent sovereignty.

This is today's approach to experiencing God's well-being in difficult times: Ask Jesus for what you need, don't give up, and persist in prayer.

As today's passage says, "For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him that knocketh it is opened." I pray to God that this will be your reality.

Suggested Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for being so present with me; showing yourself to be real and sovereign whenever I need you. You take care of me like a loving father cares for his child. Today I want to put Jesus' words into practice and ask you for what I need. I give you my heart and trust that you will do your perfect will. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1. Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.