When We Ask God and God Answers – Asking questions from where we are.

When We Ask God and God Answers
From the heart of Pastor Calvin Cook
September 2, 2025

Scripture – James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Praying as I begin this morning – Lord use me to say what you would want said. May these writings and my thoughts be yours. Praying in the name of Jesus.

This morning as we enter in this time, I am in awe of how God is speaking, not just to me but to others. More importantly, how the Holy Spirit is speaking. After all I have been asking and praying for the Holy Spirit to intervene, why should it come as a surprise when He does.

For most of the morning since I believe 3:30AM I have been listening, journaling, praying, and surrendering. The reason for the lateness of this devotional is I want to share some of these thoughts at this time which I believe are the most pressing.

It all started late last week when I began to receive some unusual questions that are not usually asked. I had shared with some people close to me these questions only to realize they were experiencing some of the same instances. The questions though common among the believing and unbelieving community began in me to see an unfolding plan and powerful move of God’s grace.

Some questions being: why is there so much pain if God is a God of love? Why am I going through this? Do I just need to be a good person to get to heaven? Doesn’t going to church qualify me for heaven? Realizing sometimes that we really don’t want a truthful response instead we are desiring a response that we want. After all, wouldn’t a loving God do that?

I think we often come to God with our own lists of wants and needs – things we think will bring us joy and satisfaction even purpose. Yet scripture reminds us that the greatest blessings will not be what we want or conceive as blessings, but what God desires to give. Before Jesus shared the Lord’s prayer he said in Matthew 6:7-8 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Then we know of course in the Lord’s prayer are the words “Thy will be done.” So, as God is hearing our prayer, we are surrendering to God’s will to be done. Then we become upset when it happens and/or our prayers are not answered the way we want them answered we become angry even distanced because we really don’t want God’s will we want it our way.

The same is true with some of the questions that we have been receiving, even our own questions. We want the answer to our pleasing. We want God to do what we want God to do. Without considering that we have inherited a sinful fallen lifestyle that dates back to the Garden of Eden. Somewhere, we must change this course, by changing the environment in which we live.

This not only needs to happen in our individual lives, but pours out in our marriages, our families, our communities, our workplace, our schools, and especially in our church’s. And it can’t happen until —– well I think the Holy Spirit will give you the answer.

The problem is not with God’s willingness to give, but with our readiness to receive. Many times, we are so consumed by our own plans, ambitions, and distractions to take hold of the blessings God has prepared for us.

For me I believe that it has been a willingness to surrender my old ways to the ways of God that are contained in the scripture but more importantly happening through the move of the Holy Spirit.
I am ready for a change, are you? Are you willing to talk about these tough questions which have answers we won’t like.

Encouraging prayer like never before – as we come before Jesus with all of our hearts!