Based on Luke 18:1-8

MEMORY TEXT:  "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him" (Matthew 7:11)

One of the first things a person needs to learn when entering certain cultures is the art of bargaining.  While in the Western cultures most things have a “fixed price,” in other parts of the world the price you pay depends on how good you are at bargaining.

There is definitely an art to bargaining.  A merchant will often double the price of a particular item, and you aren’t being rude when you counter by offering only half of the asking price.  Although it can leave the shopper physically and psychologically exhausted, bargaining can be satisfying and a lot of good fun.

But bargaining can make a person feel cheap, especially if the vendor is a poor person selling a souvenir which is already priced ridiculously low.  The vendor is lucky to make a profit of only pennies a day.

In our prayers we sometimes try to make deals with God or otherwise negotiate an answer that is to our liking.  Am I wrong, or have you experienced this at one time?  Is our communication with God supposed to include bargaining, negotiating, coaxing, and even threatening?

Most people will have to admit that in their prayers they tend to make a lot of promises.  We might say, “God, if You will do this for me, I will do that for You.”  We may not like to admit that we bargain with the Lord, but if we would listen to our prayers once in a while, we might be surprised.

But the fact is, we don't need to hint, coax, charm, wheedle, bargain, negotiate, or even make promises.  The most honorable and successful way to make a request to someone, particularly someone we love and who we know loves us, is simply to ask.

Asking, rather than demanding, is one of the most successful methods of communication, because it creates freedom for the one being asked.  They are now free to accept, decline, add to, or take away from the request.  Asking gives the other person the opportunity to show mercy and favor.

Just humbly ask the Lord, and believe that He will respond.