The Better Asker

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11)
During His earthly ministry a lot of people asked Jesus to perform miracles - mostly of healing the sick or driving out demons from loved ones. Martha had sent such a request to Jesus on behalf of her brother Lazarus, but Jesus took His good old time getting there, and Lazarus died.  In this exchange when He did arrive, there are a few interesting things. First, Martha does not ask Jesus to do anything. She believes He can do anything, yet does not ask. Second, she proclaims her faith in Him as the Messiah.  Faith in Jesus of some sort is always in the picture when He granted requests.  Third, Martha proclaims Jesus to be able to ask God for anything, seeing Him as our intermediary. He is the "better asker," so that we go to the Father through Him.  It's like a family of children wanted some request from their parents, like going out for ice cream. They first talk among themselves as to which one of them the parents would be most likely to listen to: the youngest or cutest or most articulate or the one whom had not been in trouble that day. There is no better one through whom we can ask God than Jesus. He is interceding with God on our behalf. This is most clear-cut and important when it comes to big things, preposterous things, like raising the dead. As you pray today, in Jesus' name, remember why you are doing so: to recognize He is the Better Asker, the one interceding at the right hand of the Father for us. Then ask big, according to the Father's will, and see Him answer.