Can We Ask Too Much from God? - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - June 16, 2026
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you”-- John 15:16
What can we ask of God? If we ask other believers, some give us very stringent responses, limiting what, when, and for whom, but when we read the word of God, we discover what Jesus says about asking of God.
Yet, Jesus said it repeatedly, in case we didn’t understand, saying in John 15:7, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. “
It doesn’t get much clearer than that; still, many of us struggle with asking Him.
God Understands How We Would Run with His Words
God knows the human heart better than we do, and He knows how we would take what He has said and run with it, asking anything, everything, and for whatever we want.
He knew, yet it seemed He didn’t want to limit or discourage our faith in coming to God and asking for anything and everything.
Recently, while texting with my friend in West Virginia, where they were experiencing ongoing rainy and dreary weather, I told her I was asking God to open up blue skies above her.
Even though the weather maps were predicting ongoing rain, why couldn’t I ask God, as He has said, “Ask anything in My name, and I will give you.”
She messaged back the next day, describing that although it was just for a moment, blue skies and sunshine broke through above her.
Is anything too difficult for God?
Even though the Bible assures us that nothing is impossible with God, many of us still hesitate to ask, letting the seemingly impossible realities of life restrain us.
Still, in Matthew 19:26, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
But much of the time, it seems we are afraid to ask God, not wanting to be disappointed or to think that God doesn’t want to answer us.
But over and over again in Scripture, God assures us that He not only responds to our faith, but He also rewards it.
As Hebrews 11:6 so clearly spells out to us, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
Have Faith
God is calling us to ask, to have faith, and to believe that He hears and answers us. Hebrews 10:38 explains, “And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’”
Our disappointments in life don’t come by asking God; many come by not asking Him, as James 4:2 explains, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”
Romans 14:23 reminds us that faith is utterly critical to our relationship with God and to how we live our everyday lives. “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
As Jesus answered the father who asked Him to deliver his son from demonic possession, if He could, take to heart His words: “’ If you can’?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes’” (Mark 9:23)
Jesus asks us to believe, too, so that we can ask for anything and whatever He will give us. He calls us to believe that all things are possible for those who believe.
And like the father of the boy delivered by Jesus, we, too, can ask, as he did, “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24).
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father, thank You for choosing me. Help me overcome my unbelief so that I can ask anything and whatever I wish from You. Free me from doubt and strengthen my faith that I may believe and ask You, as You have instructed me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
