Jesus spoke the words above about asking Him for your desires. I have heard many interpretations over the years about this text and none really made much sense to me.
There are criteria developed by Jesus relating to asking. First, you must be abiding in Him. This means you are walking in oneness with Him in prayer, reading scripture, listening for His voice, and genuinely seeking His will for your life. And, you are living under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, you must be a doer of the Word. This means the Words of scripture are engraved in your heart and you are attempting to live by them to the best of your ability.
You must be in touch with the reality of the Living Christ and hearing His personal promises and prophetic words. This happens to those who are abiding in Jesus and yielding to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is sealed in all believers and He speaks to believers. You have the mind of Christ.
Thirdly, God creates different seasons for believers. There are times of abundance and times of deprivation. So you must understand where you stand with God. It does no good to ask for prosperity in times of deprivation. You will just keep hitting a brick wall. Job was restored in God’s perfect timing.
There is also a direct relationship between asking and waiting upon God. Many times God hears your prayers but He asks you to wait upon Him by faith.
There really is no delay from God in asking for wisdom, strength, joy, and protection as long as you are abiding in Him and covered by His blood.
God looks at your heart in responding to your prayers!
God has constituted things on the basis of redemption. By means of our asking, God gets processes into work whereby He creates the thing that is not in existence until we do ask. Oswald Chambers
Hal Hollister Ministry 