I was recently at my favorite local coffee shop when something unfortunate happened – a friend of mine lost her car keys. For probably 15-20 minutes this created no small stir at the shop as several people did what they could to locate the keys. I continued working away at my little table expecting they would soon be found. No such reports materialized. My friend Tim said, “We’ve looked everywhere, except where the keys actually are.”

Finally, I thought to myself, I need to do something. I went over to my friend as she continued to look and asked if I could pray. She said, “Of course!” So I prayed and apparently not a few people heard me. 

I sat back down and continued to work but about 10 minutes later, the news rang out throughout the shop – the keys were found! They had been hiding under someone’s jacket at the very table my friend was sitting at. You might say, “hidden in plain sight.” 

Later on, people came over to thank me as if I had something to do with this. In fact, a young man came over and said, “That was so cool! I love it when people pray in public!” We ended up having a long chat as he shared his earnest desire to serve the Lord. 

It is hard to tell a story like that and not make it sound self-serving. But in reality, out of all the people involved looking for the elusive key set, I probably was the one who did the least. This was obviously a God thing. 

The Bible says. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Part of the Christian life is learning that your Heavenly Father cares for you and that you can petition Him for anything, big or small. That doesn’t mean that everything will always go smoothly. That doesn’t mean that every time you lose your keys and you pray that they will be found. But it does mean that you trust Jesus in anything and everything, and know that He will answer your prayers according to His perfect will. 

Most of us are naturally independent and self-reliant. If we have a problem, we fancy ourselves the ability to fix it. And often we can. But there are many things that are beyond our fixing competencies and that starts with the problem of sin. Every person is a sinner desperately in need of a Savior. God’s just wrath is upon us because we have broken His law countless times. That is why we must ask God to save us, through the atoning work of Christ (Romans 10:13). Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man, the only Person who can rescue us from our plight (1 Timothy 2:5). When we repent of our sins and cry out to God for salvation, we can have absolute confidence that He will forgive us of our sins and grant us new life in Christ.   

The Bible calls us to a childlike faith (Mark 10:13-15). It is important to see that such faith does not terminate at the point of your conversion. Rather, as we live out our Christian lives, we must petition God for our daily bread, humbly asking Him for all our needs. It doesn’t take long as believers before we bump up against our own inadequacy. You are lacking, but God in Christ is the all-sufficient One. 

If you are in union with Christ and have been born again through the power of the Holy Spirit, then you are a child of God. You can know that He cares for you. The Bible says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). God takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of field. How much more does He care for you and watch over you? (Matthew 6:25-33). 

As Christians, we should be quick to take matters, whatever they may be, to the Lord. Indeed, the Father knows your needs better than you know them. He is only asking you to trust Him. The Bible says that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, it can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). Nothing is too difficult for the Lord, but we need to ask in faith. 

Maybe you are in the midst of a health crisis? Maybe it’s something else? The Lord knows. Take the matter to Him in prayer. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Amen.