In this verse, Jesus is saying Christians can ask for good things.

Matthew 18:19 “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

Now what does this extend to? Things that pertain to the Kingdom of God, like believers, health, food, clothes, shelter, transportation, personal desires for the Lord, assistance financially to help the poor, etc. The list can be quite long.

Jesus’ brother James also emphasized that if we don’t ask for things we need, we will lack materially. James writes to a church that is fighting over wealth. Clearly they did not understand the gravity of what asking for material things does, or else they would not have been fighting.

James 4:2 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

A real example of asking being practiced is from a once high-standing Hindu to Christian. Her name was Ramabai. She asks for a field to plant crops to grow and sell later for the poor she’s taking care of. It takes her two years for her petition to God to be granted. She gets the field. Obviously she asked with a slightly wrong motive, like working for food to sell, contrary to what Jesus said about not working for food in John 6:27.

But God, being an understanding and merciful Father, gives her the field anyway. Ramabai never had the chance to successfully plant the crops she wanted; it’s recorded later in her biography that her field was barren and a wasteland. After an unsuccessful attempt to plant things later she used the farm to place hundreds of poor widows and children there to separate from a pandemic, it’s recorded even after putting it to good use once that her gardener never took care of the farm properly while she was away in the U.S. and that all the once planted crops died.

“On the farm, hundreds of fruit trees had died through the neglect of the gardener, and Ramabai found herself obliged to discharge him, and take up the management of the farm herself.”

This is what James was pointing out as well, that if we ask selfishly, we will not receive anything. Our motives can be mixed, and sometimes God will look past that. But it’s better to be honest with ourselves and make sure we don’t have mixed motives when asking the Lord for things.

Asking for 100 acres of land to create a business to sell and make a fortune is something God will not grant, because those are selfish requests. The farm Ramabai bought was put to good use for the poor as she intended, but notice the success of actually planting and selling was not. This could have been God hinting that the field shouldn’t be used for the production of food (just to sell) or money. It’s alright to plant to have experience with planting and growing and taking care of God’s earth and to reap some benefits of doing so. But anything beyond that could have mixed motives.

Later she ended up having the fruitful fields she wanted, but at that time it was used only to help feed the poor orphans she would take into her orphanage. I also think that while trying to obey the command of not working for food in John 6:27 as Jesus instructed can often be misunderstood. As I have said I don´t think planting crops just for the experience of growing things is wrong in itself, but I do think planting things just for food can disobey what Jesus said, so the intent is important. People do work a job just to put food on the table, as in working for food.

I have met people who spend all their time growing food just for themselves when that time could have been used for God instead. God is the one that usually provides the food without us having to do anything.

Jesus reminds the Apostles that if they have faith, impossible things can be achieved. And ends in asking for things in prayer. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)

He points out that we can have our requests granted with faith being the tool to bring our requests into reality. Jesus wants us to ask; he instructed us to pray for laborers in Matthew 9:38. In Luke 18:38 there was a blind man who asked Jesus to heal him. The blind man believed and had the faith for something impossible to happen, and so it happened. Was it selfish for him to request such a miracle? No, it says that Jesus had compassion on the sick (Matthew 14:14)

This is just one example of many where Jesus was willingly answering people’s requests. All through the gospels, you can read Jesus answering many requests from others. In John 15:7, 15:16, 16:23 & 16:24, asking is heavily emphasized.

We have to really focus on why he told us to ask. Please take a few minutes to actually read the verses mentioned.

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
(John 16:24)

The reasons Jesus tells us to ask are as follows: it will give us great faith in God and prayer, which is important. And two, God is our Father who desires to give us good things because he genuinely loves and cares for our well-being. When we receive those things, we are very joyful and happy. It also reminds us that he is alive and active, and it keeps God at the front of our minds when he does answer.

When we have trails of testing, we can always look back at all the wonderful prayers God has answered and confidently believe he will not leave us nor forsake us.When you meet people who have never exercised their faith in God, when impossible situations arise and things that are out of your control happen, you will often be met with a spirit of fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

The unbeliever that is accompanying you will try to argue in reasonable and rational ways that sound almost persuasive to the believer.

I say that because the arguments brought to you from the unbeliever are often reasonable, like when George Müller had no food to feed his hundreds of kids, it would be reasonable for someone to come up and say, “You need to go out and ask for help; the kids have nothing to eat!”

But you, having depended on God thus far, know God will bring you what you need in prayer and asking.In that story, George had a truck break down and supplied all his kids with what they needed.

“The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat,” the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door.

“Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.”

Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.”

This is the kind of courage and faith you will have when asking Christ for what you require and desire, instead of asking through man. It may take some time to increase that faith, but don’t be discouraged!

Speaking of asking through man in your own strength, as I have said before you will struggle and fail much. You might be successful for a while as the women your about to read below, but it will take a heavy toll on you physically and spiritually. This can include all aspects of serving the Lord. Read below of a women named Lillian Trasher who managed literally a thousand orphan’s at one point in Egypt by faith in the living God. And see how she just discovered the power of a simple ask from the Lord Christ Jesus for help without trying to do things on her own, just like George Muller.

”One particular day Lillian needed seventy-five pounds to cover various necessities at the orphanage. As usual, she climbed onto her donkey early in the morning and rode off to visit a wealthy family that lived on the outskirts of Assiout. When Lillian arrived at the house, she learned that the man of the house was not yet out of bed. Lillian decided to return to the house at noon.

When she arrived the second time, she learned that the man had gone out. At three in the afternoon Lillian returned to the house a third time. This time she learned that the man of the house was too busy to see her just then. Lillian decided to wait until he was free. A servant showed her into the drawing room, where she sat down on a straight-backed, wooden chair.

After an hour the man had still not seen her, and Lillian felt her spirits beginning to deflate. When one of the servants passed through the drawing room, she looked at Lillian and said, “If I had the money, I would give you what you need.” When the servant had gone, Lillian realized that she was not wanted at the house and that rather than being busy, the man of the house was avoiding her.

A sense of abandonment swept over Lillian, and she began to weep. In her despair she sank to her knees beside the chair. “I cannot do this anymore, Lord,” she prayed. “I’ll take care of the children. You provide the money. I cannot go about on my donkey begging for money and still have energy to tend to the children.”

Her sobbing subsided, and Lillian knelt quietly for several minutes. Then she added to her prayer, “Lord, will You please send me seventy-five pounds today? That way I will know that You have heard my cry and that I am walking in Your way.”

With that Lillian rose to her feet, left the wealthy Egyptian family’s home, and headed back to the orphanage on her donkey. When she reached the orphanage, Lillian learned that in her absence an Egyptian friend had come to visit her. Not finding her in, the friend had left a note and a small container, which Oma now handed to Lillian. Lillian opened the note and read.

The note explained that the friend’s daughter had become engaged and the family wanted to share their joy with Lillian. Lillian opened the container that had been left with the note. Inside she found a wad of pound notes. As she counted them, Lillian discovered that the container held not seventy-five pounds but two hundred! “Thank You, Lord,” she prayed. “I will not go out on my donkey begging for money again. Indeed, I will spend my time caring for the children and trust You to send the money to feed, clothe, and educate them.”

What a brilliant show of God!! What a great petition (request) from Lillian! Notice how she said that if God sent her the money, she would know that she is walking in his ways, and he did! She never asked again, well sometimes she would let people know what she needed only because they asked her and knew that she lived by faith, but the majority of the time she would not. I personally still think Lillian is a great example of depending on God in faith.

Originally she would go around asking people for money and supplies constantly when taking care of orphans, but after that one answer to prayer, she knew God would provide all her needs just as Jesus promises in the gospels.

Reese Howls was another example of how he could not only ask God for things when in need and not man, but rest in all of Jesus´promises. Read below of how he helped homeless people when in need and how he and his wife depended on God and the Christ and his promises.

“When we first started to help them,” Rees said, “we were afraid too many would come in the same fortnight, and that we could not provide for them; and while there was fear, there was inward struggle. We soon found out that we could not provide, and that was just the place to which the Lord wanted us to come. Then we had to find out that God could, if we would trust Him. The Holy Ghost allowed us to be failures once or twice, so we left off struggling and trying to do it ourselves.

We hung to God’s promises, pleading with Him to come to our rescue, and He never failed us. “After many hard experiences we found the resting place. We became like waiters serving in a restaurant; it wasn’t our business whether ten, fifteen or twenty would come, we knew the Manager would not fail to provide what was needed. We told the Lord to send as many as He liked!

We paid the grocer’s bill every two weeks, when we got together and emptied our pockets. On one occasion, when we knew the bill was heavy, one sick brother, who was not earning, said, ‘I am ashamed that I have only got 41/2d. Shall I put that in?’ The answer was, ‘Yes. It will be like the widow’s mite.’ We entered the store, were given the hill, and found that the 41/2d. made up the money needed to the penny. We learned that night not to despise the little gifts. Over and over again we found the money coming to the needed penny, and that gave us more joy than if we had had ú10 over.”

As we can see, this pattern of asking only Christ for our needs when we need things and not trying ourselves to depend on man, will give us all great faith and show that we are different from the rest of the world. We will not have to be anyone’s master being forced to labour over money but we will be free and happy and all the worries of money will be thrown out the window! There are many more instances I could write down here of people living like this, but it would be too many!

Besides that fact, go ahead and ask the Lord for His will to be done on earth and help the poor, find the lost sheep of the house of Israel, heal the sick, and preach the gospels in Christ’s name! And share what God has provided for you and others for a testimony.

“Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippines 4:6.)