Asking has always been a difficult issue for ministry leaders. Some of us have accepted the view that asking is taboo for Christians.
But think about what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: When someone asks—Give. If asking was wrong, would not Jesus have said so?
There are plenty of times in the Bible where God’s people asked for resources. Paul asked for gifts for the poor. David asked people to give for the temple. Nehemiah asked for timbers to rebuild the wall (remember the king could have killed him for asking). Asking is all through the Bible—including asking for money.
We ask people to marry us. We ask people to pastor our churches. We ask people to believe in Jesus. Aren’t marriage, pastoring and salvation more important than money? Why is asking ok in these circumstances, but not for money?
Is it possible that God is using your ministry to help donors grow? Is it possible that God is using you and your ministry to speak into donors lives? It is not only possible, it might be that God has planned it this way.
Consider 1 Timothy 6, where Paul tells Timothy to “command those who are rich in this present world. . . . .to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18).
Why command them to give? God owns it all, they are His money managers, and they will have greater blessing in giving than in hoarding. 1 Timothy 6:19 gives us the motivation and reason why Paul used such strong language like command: So that they will take hold of life that is truly life.
God put your ministry here on earth to help people give. You are the tool God uses. Asking is not forbidden, and it is the normal process to get things done.
My good friends at Brothers in Blue, a prison ministry in Kansas City, put their fears aside and did their very first ask event recently. And, what did God do in response? Over $30,000 was raised in a matter of minutes. And, I have no doubt that is just the beginning of what God will bring in and do.
You see, when we do not ask, people assume there is no room at the table and you do not need them. An ask can be an invitation to be a part of something bigger than yourself. If you believe God is doing something pretty spectacular in and through your ministry, why do you want to keep it to yourself?
Yes, asking can be intimidating – and there is a ‘wrong’ way to ask – but don’t let fear be the reason for not asking.
Connie Hougland is the vice president of ministry services at National Christian Foundation Heartland in Kansas City, MO.
