The Power of Asking: Faith, Business, and the Simple Act of Prayer

Yesterday was observed as Mission Sunday in the Catholic Church.

During the homily, our priest posed a thought-provoking question: Since God knows our intentions before we pray, why should we pray?

Quoting St Augustine, he explained: "We pray not because God doesn't know our intentions, but to authenticate those desires."

To illustrate, think of it this way: As a parent, you may know your child wants various things—perhaps a computer, books, new shoes, or a maths tutor. But you can’t be certain which ones they truly desire until they come to you and specifically ask for item a, b, or all of them. You’d likely respond faster to what is clearly requested.

It’s the same when we pray. God knows our needs, but sometimes we won’t receive them until we ask.

The same principle applies in business and life. People may know you're facing challenges or have targets to meet, but help or favours often won’t come unless you ask.

Even if the answer is NO sometimes, it’s still worth asking.

So this week, ask God, ask your neighbours, and ask your clients.

As for me, I'm asking for Printing, Publishing, and Supply Chain opportunities and for Nigerians to become wise people so we can rebuild our country.

May all our asking receive big Yeses.

Shalom ✌🏾.

Comments

DEBT IS A VERY BAD THING

You may not know me personally, but take this from me: DEBT COULD BE A TERRIBLE THING. As long as you owe someone, you remain their servant, no matter how talented or respected you are. Yesterday, while driving to work and enjoying my heavenly sandwich, I spotted Emeka in traffic and nearly lost my appetite. Why? I remembered how badly I suffered in his hands after I was duped of the money I had borrowed from him to fund a certain business opportunity. Let me gist you. When I went back to Emeka to explain what had happened, he empathised with me and even offered a payment plan since it was clear I couldn't return the money all at once. Sometime after, we were both invited to serve as panellists at a supply chain management event. I was the first to share my thoughts on a topic, which Emeka later disagreed with. But my take must have sounded more compelling, because I was asked to expand further. Crazy me (forgetting that my oga at the top was seated beside me), I took a whiteboar...

DO NOT LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOUR BUSINESS

DO NOT LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOUR BUSINESS A few years ago, at my friend's grocery shop, I witnessed a heated altercation between him and one of his sales staff. The scene was unpleasant, with harsh words flying back and forth. When I inquired, I discovered that he had audited the shop's accounts and deducted the cost of missing items from the staff member's salary, per their prior agreement. Upset by this, the staff member decided to resign, demanding a refund of the deductions. My friend responded, "We'll need to inform your guarantor about the missing items before I can process a refund." This remark caused the staff member to angrily exclaim, "This small, nonsense shop is asking for a guarantor—how much is the entire business even worth?" I noticed those words hit my friend hard. He felt his business wasn’t being respected because it was seen as “too small” to deserve proper structure. To every business owner out there, running a business is a ...

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER PRISON ?

A few years ago, I listened to a message by Bishop T.D. Jakes where he spoke about the high likelihood of ex-convicts returning to prison. This, he said, was largely due to the difficulty they face reintegrating into society. One major challenge is public acceptance. Many employers don’t want individuals with criminal records associated with their brand. Others fear that the ex-convict might relapse into old behaviours, potentially causing harm or bringing trouble to their organisation. While these concerns are understandable, Bishop Jakes advocated for meaningful reform during incarceration. He suggested that churches, manufacturers, and other businesses should create training programmes for inmates—equipping them with skills that will help them survive once they are released. The goal? To reduce the temptation to return to crime. A few days ago, while scrolling through social media, I came across a photo with a caption that caught my attention: President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina F...

Ask Chuka

Search This Blog