New book by Pastor Audrey Black aids people waiting for God’s response
Many people may have heard the popular lament, “God is not answering my prayers.” If you or someone you know are in that category, consider reading “A.S.K. – Ask, Seek, Knock” by Pastor Audrey Black.
The new book, which Black released earlier this year, aims to help those who think that God is ignoring or refusing to answer their petition. In Black’s opinion, many people are under that impression, but she says it is simply not true.
“God wants us to have the things we desire as much as we do, but there is a pattern and there are principles that we may not be aware of,” insists Black, who co-pastors Canaan Inheritance Worship Center with her husband, the Rev. Owen Black.
“Becoming aware of these principles will provide strategies of success and assist us in identifying the ways of God so there is no misunderstanding on whether He hears us. I believe this book will bring encouragement and inspiration, to the point, where we can continue to believe God,” says Black with earnest conviction.
“A.S.K.” is an easy read of 101 pages and it’s full of practical guidance to teach believers how to communicate with God through prayer. The chapters include “Asking Amiss,” “Mix It With Faith,” “Change the Way You Think,” and “Understand His Ways.” Black also uses everyday examples that readers can relate to along with scriptures that reveal God’s love for His children.
For instance, Chapter 2 is entitled, “Why Are You Asking” and Black urges believers to examine their reasons for making the request. She writes, “When you know why you’re asking and agree to let God provide your wants in peace, you have no anxiety and your motives are made clear.”
Also, she cites Bible verses such as Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall nor want” to emphasize that God “provides for your wants” and Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” to remind readers that the Lord will “assist you in accomplishing those impossible things while you give Him glory.”
Explaining that there is a three-step process to obtaining God’s promises, Black says, “There is a process to everything in life and that includes prayer. ‘A.S.K.’ shows us what the process looks like and guides us on how to mix it with faith. It points out ways we could be asking incorrectly in prayer and how to avoid missteps.
“The book also covers how we must change the way we think in order to understand the ways of God so we may be able to come into agreement with Him when obtaining our desires,” she adds as she encourages believers and skeptics to read “A.S.K.” because “it answers many questions we as believers and non-believers have regarding prayer.”
Even before she wrote the book, Black was practicing the doctrines she espoused in “A.S.K.” by teaching the principles during her church’s Bible Study. As a result, she said the students responded with enthusiasm and began to increase their faith as well as invited others to attend the classes.
Black’s love of God and His word are contagious to those who are around her. As a youngster, she remembers first hearing the voice of God and how He saved her because she was obedient. During her teen years, other youth would seek her out for instruction about their dilemmas.
“At the age of, I clearly heard God’s voice without uncertainty. He was warning me not to go to a certain place. My older brother insisted that we continue as planned and the very thing God warned me of came up. I know that it is by the grace of God that I did not become a statistic on that day,” says Black.
“During my years in high school, I purposely remained sensitive to His voice. There were students being delivered at school in the hallways. It was so many in abusive relationships and dealing with life-threatening situations. They would come to pull me out my sixth-period class for advice and without thought I would give it to them,” she recalls.
As an adult, her relationship with God continues to grow stronger. Also, her desire to help others grows more and more, which probably inspired her to write “A.S.K.” – so she could assist people in having a victorious relationship with the Lord.
“I believe “A.S.K.” has information that will give us a head start to seeing all the possibilities God has planned for us,” says Black. “And when followed, it will cause us to experience the word of God, not only to have life as He promises, but to have it in abundance.”
“A.S.K.” is available at AudreyBlack.org or on Amazon.com. Also, Pastor Audrey Black teaches a live Bible Study session on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (PST) on Facebook.