Whatever You Ask

Do you know the Steve Camp song “Whatever You Ask”?

I was in junior high when it came out, yet it still has an impact on me. Over the years I’ve written the words to the song in my journal many times as a prayer to the Lord. It is a prayer of surrender.

Yet I’m learning that willingness to obey is only part of the equation. I am learning how much I try to obey the Lord’s instructions with my own strength and not His. I can be pretty strong-willed, which has enabled me to do a lot with my own fierce resolve. (Pride, pride..."me do!")

But now the Lord is allowing me to face something that my will is not strong enough to fight. The wall is too high to scale. Frustration has resulted, and finally brokenness is setting in.

And God says, “Ah, now you’re getting where I want you to be.” I know He wants me to totally rely on His strength and not my own. I’m still learning how to do that. Learning how much I don’t do that.

Romans 9:16 comes back to me yet again:
“So then, it does not rely on human will or effort, but on God Who shows mercy.”

But still, the starting place is surrender. And the next step is to keep on surrendering when the going gets tough.

Lord, I see the things
You ask of me
Faithfulness, holiness,
And purity
I love Your truth
I long to show it to the world
For You

But Lord I need Your help
To understand
The other person that
I sometimes am
I never want
To live a day
That I can’t say to You

Lord, whatever You ask
I want to obey You
To let my life beat
With a servant’s heart
Lord, whatever You ask
I know that You
Can give me wisdom
And courage
To equal the task
Whatever You ask

There's so much
That steals away
The will to take the time
To serve or pray
And there are days
I don't take up Your cross
And follow You

But I have learned
That I can talk with You
You know everything
That I'm going through
If I just ask
I find You're right there
Providing me
With the strength I need

Lord, whatever You ask
I want to obey You
To let my life beat
With a servant’s heart
Lord, whatever
You ask I know that You
Can give me wisdom
And courage
To equal the task
Whatever You ask

(by Steve Camp)