Asking God For Stuff

There’s a great line in the movie, “Shadowlands,” which is about C.S. Lewis’s marriage and subsequent death of his wife. Anthony Hopkins, who plays C.S. Lewis, says at one point, “We do not pray to change God’s mind, but to change ours.”

As Christians, we believe that God’s will is supreme. When we pray, we follow the model of Jesus, “Thy will be done,” “Not my will, but yours be done.” Our only desire as Christians is to know, to want, and to do the will of God. We believe that God will accomplish his will in all things. We also believe that his will is for our benefit, our good. That being said, should we ask God for stuff in our prayer?

If God’s will is supreme in our lives, and we long only that his will be accomplished, and we know that what he wills for us is better than anything we could will for ourselves, then why should we pray for anything other than that his will is done? If I really want a new motorcycle, why should I pray for a new motorcycle? Shouldn’t I instead just pray that God’s will is done? I mean, if it’s not God’s will that I get a motorcycle, I won’t get one. If it is, then I will. What’s the point of praying for it?

My Papa died from cancer, so should I just have prayed that God’s will be done regarding my Papa’s health? If it were God’s will that my Papa would be miraculously cured, he would be alive today. Apparently, it was God’s will that my Papa die.

Should we pray for stuff?

To me, the answer is resoundingly, “Yes.”

I think about it like this. I know what is good for my children. I know that when it is 30 minutes before supper time, and my children start asking me for cookies, a bowl of cereal, or Phineas and Ferb Fruit Snacks, they’re not going to get them. I know that when it is time for Jacob to wear his eye patch, and he throws a fit because he doesn’t want to, the end result will be an unhappy child wearing an eye patch. I know that in my children’s lives, my will be done.

That doesn’t mean I don’t rejoice in their asking. I love when they ask for stuff. They can be so freaking sweet. It can be really hard to say no to them sometimes (I have to admit, especially Caitlin). I think God rejoices in our asking, too. He loves it when we come to him and acknowledge him as the provider of all things. He rejoices that we, his children, make requests that he intends to give anyway. 

For example, we have limited Jacob’s Wii playing to a few hours a couple of times a week. I love it when Jacob asks, “Is today a Wii day? Can I play Wii?” I love being able to say yes to him. I love giving to my children. I know that God loves giving to us. There is occasionally the time that Jacob forgets it is a Wii day, and gets busy playing imaginative play with his Legos. I love that just as much, and am content to let him do that. When my will is that he should play Wii, and his will is that he should play Wii, our wills are in concert with one another, and I love giving him what he asks for. When his will is that he wants to play Wii, and my will is that it is not a Wii day, he gets upset, but I can count on the inevitable question, “Why?”

At this point, it becomes a teaching moment if he is open to hearing the answer.

When we ask God for stuff, and it is his will that we get the stuff we ask for, I have no doubt that God rejoices in giving us what we want. When we ask God for stuff, and it is not his will that we should get it, then it is a teaching moment if we are open to the lesson that God has for us.

If it is God’s will that we should have something, and we don’t want it at the moment, God does not impose his will on us. We are free creatures, given that freedom by him. He is not going to rescind the gift of freedom that he has already given. He is content to watch us move along in our lives, “playing” with the other gifts he has given us, until such a time that we should ask.

When we ask God for stuff, God will respond. He is faithful to us. Sometimes, the answer will be yes and we will grow closer to him in the gift of his love. Sometimes, the answer will be no with an explanation that (if we are able to hear it) will help us grow closer to him in his love. Either way, the opportunity to ask God for stuff is a tool that God uses to help us grow closer to him in his love.