One day I was babysitting my grandsons. When I got there that morning, the youngest one—the three-year-old—was still asleep. A little bit later he woke up, I went in and got him, and after I held him for a little bit, he told me he was hungry. So I took him downstairs, put him in his highchair, and asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He told me he wanted a muffin.

So you know what I did? I went over to the refrigerator and pulled out some broccoli from the night before and put the broccoli on his tray. Now he doesn't like broccoli, but I thought, well, it's good for him. No, I didn't do that—you know I wouldn't do that. He wanted a muffin, and so I got him a muffin.

Yet many of us think God is a broccoli-giving God. We think that if we ask God for something we want, God is going to give us something that maybe is good for us, but we'd never really like it. And yet Jesus taught us something totally opposite about God and when we pray.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 9-11:

Jesus said, why is it that you think that if you ask God for something good, God is going to give you something different—something that you'd never in this world want? Jesus taught us that God the Father has so much more He wants to give to those who will ask Him.

But did you get that? He said you have to ask Him. There are so many good things that God wants to do for you and do through you, but He says, “I will only do it if you ask.”

So today, trust the goodness of God. Ask Him for those desires that He's put into your heart.