The Key to Asking

Have you ever been told “Stop asking!” when someone was tired of your questions? Probably so. Is asking bad? No. Learning to ask is important. And so is learning when not to ask—or to ask in a different way.

Think about a time when someone answered your question, or gave you what you were asking for. Did you feel cared about and loved by them? Do you want that to happen again? I do, too! And guess what? Jesus tells us to ask God for things, so we can realize how much He wants to help us and provide for all our needs. That is why He says, “Ask, and it shall be given to you.”* (Matthew 7:7)

Do you have a lot of things you need? I do. But often we don’t know how to get them. Now imagine that Jesus has a big treasure chest with all that we will ever need. It is locked. How are you going to get it open? Yes, you need a key. And asking is like turning the key in the lock. You turn it and the lid opens so you can get inside!

Wait a moment. Will every key fit that lock? No, you need the right one. That is why we need to learn how to ask, or we will just get more and more frustrated because nothing we say or do is working. The “asking key” that brings answers is a very special key. Do you know that not very many people know what it looks like? That’s why I tried to show it to you on the front cover, with some of the wrong keys right beside it. Can you tell the difference between them?

Look at the comparison between these two keys. Match each attitude on the keys to the picture of the boy that showed that attitude from the story. Now look up the Bible reference on the chest and see which key will open it up!