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James 4:2b (ESV)

"You do not have, because you do not ask."

I like this post a lot, but it goes against my personality also, I think.

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Jul 11, 2023Liked by Aaron M. Renn

I remember a huge ask I made on a deployment in Kosovo for children's material to translate for use in a children's publication we wanted to make to help the children there avoid mines and to work on reconciliation between old neighbors (Albanian and Serb). The editor of Highlights Magazine gave us 5 years of back issues and a 5 year online subscription with full rights to use as needed and translate (no citation or acknowledgement needed). 35 year old Sergeant First Class sent an email and prayed. I left that mission after 6 issues of our publication and I beleive it continued for at least 2 years after I left.

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I need to meet a neighbor with a tractor that I would like to have an arrangement to use to start a community garden this next year. Thanks for the reminder. You have not because you ask not, but much of what you ask for is amiss because you ask to spend it on your own flesh. James paraphrased. Ask your heavenly Father for the right things and they will be given to you so much you cannot keep it all! Jesus paraphrased

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Just had a sermon kinda related to this. When James and John ask Jesus for something extreme, He doesn’t rebuke them for daring to ask. He does correct them about the *content* of the request, but not about the boldness of it:

Mark 10:

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked

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founding

Why not use the title, "You Have to Be Willing to Make a Direct, Audacious Request"? Rather than, "You Have to Be Willing to Make the Direct, Audacious Ask."

It's very unusual, and awkward, to use "ask" as a noun. I had to read the title three times to figure out what was meant by it.

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I don't think it's unusual, but I guess it's business lingo. I'm accustomed to people using "ask" as a noun all day long.

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Agreed, "what is the ask?" - very much tied to business lingo!

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Jul 11, 2023Liked by Aaron M. Renn

Wanted to buy a shirt from a Ukrainian YouTuber (“Our Russophobia is Insufficient” 😀), but the website didn’t deliver outside Ukraine. I emailed him. In exchange for a PayPal donation, he sent me the pattern file, and I had a shirt made here.

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I had a friend at uni used to say:

"Shy bairns (children) get nowt (nothing)."

I'd never have gotten my book published, or the endorsements I got, without being willing to ask. All it takes is an email.

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