Asking God for stuff
I was thinking about how I ask God for things, and I realised that it depended on how I expect to be able to provide them.
If I am asking for something that I have no idea how I am going to provide it, then I am asking God for the thing. “Oh God, can we please have XYZ. We’d really like it. But not my will, Your will be done.” (we add that bit at the end to convince ourselves that we are being really spiritual and praying just like Jesus did… 
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But if I am asking for something that is well within my means to get, (if I remember to ask at all), then it is more along the lines of “Oh God, should I get XYZ?”. Generally more of a token question, worded along the lines of “I’m already planning on getting this thing, and I have pretty much made up my mind, so let me know if you don’t want me to get it (by this date/time), otherwise I will go ahead and get it.” Then a few days later: “Did God say anything to you about it? No? Me neither! Let’s go for it!”
Something I have previously realised is that when we ask God to provide our daily needs, it should not make any difference whether or not we have the means to provide them for ourselves. “Give us this day our daily bread” should not sound any different if we have $10,000 in the bank, or if we have spent our last dollar two weeks ago. “Oh God, please provide us with what we need today. And thank you for providing it, as You have promised that You would.” Not the “please, please, please, we beg You…” if there is no money in the bank, and just as importantly, not completely forgetting to ask when there is money in the bank. (We don’t rely on the money, we rely on God).
In the same way, if we have money in the bank, we should still ask God what his opinion is first. “Oh God, should we get XYZ?”. And if we don’t get a ‘yes’ then we should just let it go and move on. And if we don’t have the money, then the question should be the same: “Oh God, should we get XYZ?”. This time, though, if we don’t get a ‘yes’ then that is easy - we weren’t going to get it anyway, so just move on! But if we do get a ‘yes’, then praise God! It is in His will, and whatever is in His will, we can ask for, and it will happen. (Whatever you ask for in my name…; you do ask but for the wrong motives…). Note - we still need to ask for it (you don’t get, because you don’t ask), but we can ask with thanksgiving, because God has already said yes, so we know it is in His will, so we know that He will provide it.
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