“Mommy, can you buy me a new bike?”

A simple question asked by my daughter but I argued that she didn’t need a new bike; her old bike was fine.“Mom, the chain keeps falling off and the back brake doesn’t work!”

Not only did she want a new bike, but she also stated in her case that she needed one.

“I saw one for sale at a garage sale last weekend. Maybe they still have it.”

She implored me to look into this.

What my daughter didn’t know was that her dad and I had already given consideration to a new bike for her birthday, and we had our eyes set on a beautiful red bike from a department store.

“Please, please Mommy. Can you buy me that bike?” Her pleas turned into whines.

I wanted to say Yes, but I didn’t want to give away the surprise. I wanted to say, Yes, but I wanted to buy her a brand-new bike, not a garage-sale special.

When I said, “Let me think about it,” she heard, “No.”

I love my daughter and would do nothing to cause her pain. I couldn’t wait to see the look of surprise and joy on her face the morning of her birthday as we wheeled her shiny red bike into her bedroom. I couldn’t wait to hear the squeals of excitement and watch her jump out of bed to try to ride her new bike down the hall.

But as I bit my tongue to contain my own excitement, she read this as setting my jaw against a new bike.

What gave her the idea that I would deny her something she not only wanted but also needed? Hadn’t I taken care of her and given her all that she needed? Didn’t I show her my love through my words as well as my actions? Why would she doubt me now?

I can imagine God asking the same questions of me. He has never denied me my needs. He has always taken care of me.

When I take a prayer to God, sometimes I doubt that He will answer me. Many times I assume that His answer will be No. But is this fair? God is a gracious and giving Father. He loves me. Too many times, I don’t take a request to God because I feel that He may not give it to me. Imagine my daughter not asking for a new pair of shoes because she thinks that I may deny her this. I’d be hurt and offended by such a thought.

Yet I do this to God many times. I make assumptions about how He may answer my prayer and so don’t even ask for it. This must hurt and offend God. He is a God of overabundance. I need to remember that He is a loving Father who cares for His daughter. I need to not make assumptions about how He may react, and ask Him for my needs just as I would want my daughter to ask me.