And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
—Judges 1:12-15

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
—Matthew 7:7-12

~~~~~

I Go Ask My Father
By Jennifer Kane

I am not a soldier
waiting for marching orders
with no voice of my own.
I am not a peasant
trembling before a distant throne
hoping to be noticed.

I go ask my Father.
Not out of fear—
but because I know He listens.
I know He loves.

He has already given me a home—
walls that shelter,
a place to belong.
And so I ask for a bed to sleep on,
rest within what He has built.

He gave me land,
wide and sunlit.
So I ask for water—
for springs to rise,
for the dry places to live again.

He has given much already,
but that doesn’t stop me from coming.
It draws me closer.
The past blessings are not the end—
they are the reason I ask for more.

Because land without water
is promise without power.
Calling without Spirit.
Life without breath.

I go ask my Father.
Because I know who He is—
not just Giver,
but the One who delights
when I come to Him.

And I do.

~~~~~

Scripture: Judges 1:12-15, Matthew 7:7-12

In a tucked-away corner of the book of Judges, we find a woman named Aksah making a request of her father Caleb. She had already received land—but she asked for more: springs of water to make that land flourish. Her example is a beautiful parable of prayer, an invitation to come to our Heavenly Father with confidence, clarity, and trust.

Aksah’s asking shows us how to pray well. She was thoughtful and specific. She didn’t waste words or speak in vague spiritual generalities. She had considered her need, and she asked plainly: “Give me a blessing.”

When we come to God in prayer, do we know what we’re asking for? Do we pause to consider what we truly need? Prayer is not a performance—it’s a conversation with our Father, who delights in blessing us. Just as Caleb didn’t scold or criticize Aksah, God does not look down on our honest requests. He invites us to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7–11).

Aksah also remembered what her father had already given her: “Since you have given me land in the Negev…” Gratitude seasoned her request. She knew she wasn’t asking from a place of entitlement but of relationship. And she recognized that the land, though good, needed something more—water to bring it to life. So often we receive blessings from God, but without the living water of the Spirit, they lie dry and dormant. We need the continual spring of God’s presence.

This story reminds us that we are not orphans begging for scraps. We are beloved children coming to a generous Father. When we ask Him for what we truly need—for wisdom, strength, peace, the Holy Spirit—He is not reluctant. He responds with grace in abundance.

What have you already received from God that you are thankful for?
Is there something dry in your life that needs the “springs of water” only God can give?
Are you praying specifically and boldly, like Aksah?

~~~~~

Father, thank You for the blessings You’ve already poured into my life. Today, I come to You not with fear but with faith. You are generous and kind, and You welcome me into Your presence. I ask for what only You can provide—living water, fresh strength, and more of Your Spirit. Help me to pray with clarity, confidence, and gratitude, trusting that You hear and You delight to give. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May 1 2025