God isn’t like a genie.

The Savior once shared a poetic and comforting promise with the Nephites, echoing one He’d given to the people of Judea half a world away.

“Ask, and ye shall receive;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you;
for he that asketh, receiveth;
and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”¹

So... if you ask God for something, He will give it to you?!

But wait a minute. Surely the Savior didn’t mean that you can have anything you want, like a genie granting wishes, right?

Here are three things to keep in mind.

1. It needs to be a righteous desire.

Thanks to the Book of Mormon, we have some clarifying specifics from the Savior. He taught that “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:20, emphasis added).

But what if it is a righteous desire, and God still hasn’t granted it?

Well, that leads us to the next point...

2. God knows what is best for you.

What you want might be good, but God might have something better in store. So He may allow things to happen that redirect you, or He may give you a “no” answer and prompt you to go a different direction.

3. God has perfect timing.

He will give us what we need, but He will wait for the moment that is best for us—and only He knows precisely when that is.

So, if you’re asking for something that you haven’t received yet, don’t give up! Trust that God will give you what you need, when you need it, according to your faith.

Things will work out in the end. If things aren’t working out, that just means it’s not the end!

Notes
1. See 3 Nephi 27:29 and Matthew 7:7.