I was brave enough a few years back to carry our grandchildren and some of our nieces and nephews to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel, then to shop at Walmart. I think there were 7 of them altogether. Elijah Johnson had always been the quiet one in the crowd and never asked for much. He slipped up to me on the way to eat and asked if I was really going to take them to Walmart. I answered yes I am. After breakfast Elijah slipped up to me again on the way to Walmart and asked if I had enough money for them to shop at Walmart. I answered, yes I do. Then he said something I will never forget. He asked if he could get his money now, before we got into the store. He wanted to be certain he had money to shop when he got inside. My devotion this morning talks about God wanting us to ask Him for our needs and desires. It is important that we know we are encouraged to ask. (John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.) Until that day, Elijah had not ask me to do anything for him. But, he found out that I was a man of my word and has felt comfortable asking since. My joy isn’t from having things that God gives to me, my joy comes through loving God intimately and knowing that He wants me to be totally dependent on Him for everything I need. I get up every day and do the best I can, and by faith I want to receive all that God wants me to have. You may read a promise from the Bible and wonder if God will do that for you. He will. You may feel that because you leaned so heavily on him yesterday that He doesn’t want you to bother him again today with your issues. He does. God wants us to ask in His name and keep on asking in His name. He loves to keep His Word to His children. Pastor Don [image: image.png]