"If God has good plans for us all, and He already knows our every need, why doesn't He go ahead and meet all our needs? Why does He want us to ask that we may receive (Matthew 7:7)?"
I will give you three reasons why God wants us to ask Him for all that we need:
1. God wants us to know and acknowledge that we need Him and we cannot do anything without Him
In John 15:5, it is written 'I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.' That's God's way of letting us know that He will give those who delight themselves in Him, the desires of their heart (Psalm 37:4).
Prayers make us aware that we are not self-sustaining. It makes us understand that we need the grace of God in all things, and at all times. We constantly are confronted with temptations, challenges, and forces of evil. That's why God blessed us with the gift of prayer that we may use it to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18).
2. Prayer makes us grow stronger in faith, and draws us closer to God
God is pleased with those who have faith in Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God because He wants all those who come to Him in prayer to believe that He is God and He is a Rewarder of all those who seek Him diligently (Hebrews 11:6).
We realize that prayer is useless without faith because Matthew 21:22 tells us that we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer if we believe. When we pray, we ought to believe that we have received what we have asked for, and it will be ours (Mark 11:24). So prayer is God's way to increase our faith in Him that we may be able to cast mountains of trouble, and nothing will be impossible for us (Matthew 17:20).
3. God is our Father and not some tyrant
God doesn't want to impose things on us like a tyrant does. He is a loving Father and He simply offers them to us. His love for us all is abundant and it is out of this abundant love that He gives to us. Can
you imagine how much blessing awaits us if we only ask? He gives to those who wants and ask. That is why Jesus encouraged us in Matthew 7:7 to ask and it shall be given to us.
