A man died and went to heaven. Once there, an angel took him on a tour to explore his new, eternal home. He saw incredible things of wonder and beauty. Eventually he came to an expansive warehouse that extended as far as the horizon. When he looked inside, it was filled from top to bottom with gifts of all sizes, wrapped with pretty bows — and each had the same sticker on the outside that read: "NAF." There were billions of gifts, more than he could possibly count.
"Wow! What are these?" the man asked in astonishment. The angel replied, "Inside these boxes are houses, cars, careers, children, healing, health, joy, peace — the list is endless!"
"What are they doing here in this warehouse?"
"Oh," said the angel, "these are the many gifts God desired to give His children, but see the sticker on each one? 'NAF' stands for 'Never Asked For.'"
The Bible says, "You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it." (James 4:2, NLT) Think right now of your most pressing need that you haven't asked God for yet. You haven't prayed. It's right there in heaven ready to be shipped your way, but it's still not asked for.
Of all the major differences between the early Church and the Church today, one stands out as an indictment against us: our lack of prayer. In 1845 William Bradbury wrote the hymn "Sweet Hour of Prayer." Today, he would have written, "Scattered Moments of Prayer — If I Have the Time!"
Why don't we pray? Most people, even Christians, feel like they can handle life on their own. They really don't need God's help. Many feel like prayer is like a fire extinguisher — for use in case of emergencies only. Prayer is the last resort when all else fails. Others think of prayer as a religious obligation or duty, so we mumble memorized phrases and words that mean little to us. I think many people don't pray because they just can't imagine that the God of the universe loves them and cares for them enough to listen and hear and answer their prayers. They can't believe that God is interested in car payments, mortgages, braces for the kids, a new job, our health, our marriage. I hear people say all the time, "I don't pray about my needs. God has so much else on His plate — bigger things to take care of, like world hunger, war, famines."
Can I be frank with you: God cares! God loves you and cares about every detail of your life. The Bible says, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)
God meant it. God wants us to take all our needs and cares and worries to Him in prayer, and He will take care of them all. Why? Because of His incredible love for you. A love so deep and so profound, that God sent His only Son to die for you so that you might have life in Him. Wow! That's love!
What gift is in God's warehouse waiting to be delivered to you? Freedom from addiction? A loved one come to Christ? Healing? Financial provision? A job? A career? A calling and ministry? God says, "Just ask. You do your part and ask — I'll do My part and answer."
The Rev. William Thomas is pastor at Hereford United Methodist Church. He can be reached at pastor@herefordumc.org.
