I grew up in Newfoundland, Canada. In 1972, our seventh grade French class decided to take a special weekend trip to the French Islands just off our southern coast. The entire weekend was going to cost each student $50—a large sum of money, I thought. I really wanted to experience a French culture, and I thought it would do wonders for my grasp of the French language. But I assumed my parents couldn't afford it, so rather than put my parents in the awkward position of saying no, I decided not to ask.

Imagine my surprise a couple of years later when my sister arrived home from school and announced that her class was taking a 14-day Mediterranean cruise. This trip was not going to cost $50, but $1,000. Then she blurted out, "Mom, can I go?" What audacity!

Much to my surprise, my mom and dad declared, "Well, we don't quite know where we'll find the money, but we will find it. Of course you can go on the Mediterranean cruise!"

This has taught me something about prayer. Do I sometimes fail to ask God for what is on my heart? Do I think his resources are scarce? Does my failure to ask indicate that my faith is small or that I assume God is unwilling to give what is good? My sister and my parents taught me more about prayer that day than they will ever know.