I retired from Delta Air Lines in 2009 and am still grateful for having worked for Delta a little over 20 years in four different locations: Tampa, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, and Dallas. Interestingly Delta was first company that I worked for that only allowed a 30 minute lunch break. No big deal though. I just got used to bringing my lunch every day.

Except,

One day, while working in the Dallas office, I forgot my lunch. Normally when this happened I’d just get something from the vending machines but on this particular day I didn’t have any money with me either. Oops! I was hungry but was too embarrassed to ask someone for money, so I just sat down alone in the break room like everything was fine.

Before long, thoughts of a recent sermon from my pastor came to mind. In it he was reminding us that God wants to meet our needs and that He knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8). The pastor reminded us that God wants us to pray about everything, big or small. So, I prayed a short prayer and asked God to provide something for me to eat and to help me to not be so embarrassed to ask people for lunch money.

Before long my lunch break was over and I went back to work with an empty stomach.

A couple of hours later, still hungry and feeling a little down, I took my afternoon break and stepped outside of the customer service area to a guarded exit area to make a phone call. Out of the blue, the guard said, “Hello!” and offered me a slice of her pizza that she had just gotten delivered! Of course I accepted it and I was so grateful! It was delicious!! I told her that both she and the slice of pizza were an answer to prayer. It brought a smile to both of our faces.

God answered my prayers that day in such a tangible and timely way, and I made a new friend too.

I came away with an important reminder about prayer and also some reflection on my “feelings” of embarrassment.

For one,

I was more in the habit of praying about the bigger, more important issues in life, not the little things. I was reminded that I was not to limit my prayers to just the big things, but to bring everything to God in prayer, even something as small and insignificant as a forgotten lunch.

And two,

Why was I embarrassed to ask someone for lunch money? Was my embarrassment actually pride? Was I afraid of rejection? Was I overly concerned about how asking for money would look to others? Was I being too self-sufficient? I think the short answer to all of the above was yes. On the surface I was feeling embarrassed, but down deep I believe I was experiencing some of the negative effects of pride.

Pride is a sin.

Pride comes in all shapes and sizes, in actions and in lack of action. It gets in the way of healthy relationships. It also separates us from God.

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Galatians 6:3

So I was reminded that day that it’s ok to ask others for help. It’s not a sign that there’s something wrong with you. It’s a sign that you’re human and that you need help of some kind. Asking others for help connects us and helps us relate to each other.

It’s even more OK to ask God for His help. In fact, we’re told to do so throughout the Bible:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Prayer, or lack there of, reflects our current relationship with God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re failing to trust God for our needs.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re relying on ourselves instead of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re denying the sovereignty of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re acting as if we know better than Him.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re saying that we’re in control, not God.

God’s help is actually exactly what we all need, but we have to first be willing to humble ourselves toward God and then toward one another.

….Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Humility leads us to ask in prayer for His help,

In the little things.

In the big things.

In everything.

So,

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7