About ten years ago, while on a Bible Study Fellowship retreat, I first became excited about using technology to translate Bible study materials into other languages. I began imagining what it could mean for more people to study Scripture in the language closest to their hearts.
I didn’t know what that possibility would become. But I remember the excitement of seeing a connection between the tools available to us and the people we might serve.
Looking back, the A.S.K. prayer model I associate with that season—Ask, Seek, and Knock—provides a meaningful way to revisit that vision. And Romans 4 reminds me of the foundation beneath every prayer and every step forward: faith in the God who keeps His promises.
Faith Before Accomplishment
In Romans 4, Paul points to Abraham as an example of righteousness received through faith. Abraham had nothing to boast about before God. He believed God, and his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
David’s words reinforce the blessing of receiving God’s forgiveness. Our relationship with God begins with grace.
When I studied this chapter, I divided it into three sections:
- Not Works — Romans 4:1–8
- Not Signs — Romans 4:9–15
- But God’s Promise Accepted in Faith — Romans 4:16–25
These truths speak directly to the heart of someone with an idea, a calling, or a desire to serve. It is easy to become absorbed in what we can accomplish. Romans 4 brings us back to the One we can trust.
Even a worthwhile ministry project cannot earn God’s acceptance. We serve because we have received His grace.
Ask: Bring the Desire to God
At that retreat, the possibility of translating Bible study materials stirred my imagination. A.S.K. invites me to bring that desire before God in specific prayer.
Who needs access to these resources? Which language communities could benefit? What people, skills, and resources would the work require?
We can ask boldly while holding our plans with open hands. Faith gives us confidence in God’s goodness without requiring certainty about how a particular project will unfold.
Lord, help more people encounter Your Word in a language they understand. Show me the part You would have me play.
Seek: Listen Before Moving
Seeking God invites us to examine both our direction and our motives.
Am I listening to the people I hope to serve? Am I willing to learn from translators, teachers, and local believers? Is my enthusiasm for technology helping me love people well?
Technology can support translation, but faithful communication also requires care, cultural understanding, and thoughtful review. Seeking God’s guidance means welcoming the wisdom and gifts of others.
Romans 4 directs our attention to God’s faithfulness. Abraham’s confidence rested in God’s ability to fulfill His promise. That challenges me to place my confidence in God as I consider which tools to use and which steps to take.
Knock: Continue in Trust
Knocking reminds me to persist in prayer.
A vision may take years to develop. Progress may come through small beginnings, unexpected partnerships, or a change in direction. Persistence includes continuing to listen and remaining willing to be redirected.
Abraham faced circumstances that made God’s promise seem impossible. Yet Romans 4 describes his growing confidence that God could do what He had promised.
My ideas do not carry the same certainty as God’s promise to Abraham. Still, Abraham’s example teaches me where to place my trust while I wait: in God’s character and power.
An Aim That Reaches the Heart
Homiletics helps us turn what we learn into a personal aim for those we serve. For this reflection, mine would be:
Cause the audience to learn that God’s grace frees us from striving to earn His acceptance and enables us to ask, seek, and knock with faith in Him.
Ten years after that retreat, I still find encouragement in the possibility that technology can help people engage with Scripture across languages. I also see more clearly how much that work needs prayer, humility, and partnership.
What desire to serve have you been carrying? Bring it to God. Ask specifically. Seek attentively. Knock persistently.
And as you take the next step, let your deepest confidence rest in the God who is faithful.
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