Ask of God

James 1: 5 reads, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

To upbraid is to reproach or censure.  When it says "upbraideth not", it means that God will not get upset with us for asking.  It is actually quite the opposite, God wants us to ask Him!  He wants to help us!  What a great invitation!  Who wouldn't want to ask God, who knows everything and has the ability to help them personally? 





The invitation from our Heavenly Father is all throughout the scriptures.

 3 Nephi 14: 7-11 reads, "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.  Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

Why not ask?

God is our Loving Father in Heaven; He loves us and wants to help us succeed.  He even sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us.  He will answer if we sincerely ask.

Sincerely ask.  Moroni teaches us how we must pray in Moroni 10: 4, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Emphasis added). 

We must really ask.  We must really desire.  If we don't really care, don't put very much thought into it, or don't even believe we will receive an answer then are we really asking?  I can testify from my own experience that if we pray sincerely, with real intent to act on the answer we receive, and we have faith in Christ then our prayer will be answered in His way and timing.  I know this is true.

Do you have a question or need some help?  Ask of God!

Images found at:
http://lds.org/hf/art/0,16812,4218-1-6,00.html
http://lds.org/hf/art/0,16812,4218-1-2,00.html