7 “ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, AND HE WHO SEEKS FINDS, AND TO HIM WHO KNOCKS IT WILL BE OPENED."
Matthew 7:7,8 (NKJV)
Asking is required of whoever wants to receive from God. At times, a believer might think if I am serving God's interest faithfully He would automatically do this or that for me, but it does not work that way. God in most cases does expect you to ask, and at times the asking had to be persistent. In some cases, If the asking is not sufficiently done the request or need might not be granted.
Those who are usually victims of the point being made here are committed and faithful believers who have thought that because of their commitment and faithfulness in the things of God, their personal needs or requests would be granted without necessarily bothering God about them. But this could be a great mistake, and the notion or thought could be far from the truth. Such people are with the idea that since they are committed to God's work and they are faithful, He surely would do their own or meet their needs, saying in their heart, I would not need to keep asking or bothering God. They might even be committed in their prayers for others but not talk much to God about their personal needs and that of their family.
Your commitment and faithfulness in the things of God—ministry or assignment or whatever you are given or assigned to do—are good and commendable; however, your personal needs, that of the self and family, should also be regularly and consistently be made known to God in prayer. The way you are committed in telling God about the requests of others, that same way you should be in presenting your own requests to God as well.
God is sovereign and He knows all things, but He could not meet all our needs because we have not asked Him enough in prayer. Through my observations in my walk with God, some requests had to be repeatedly asked, supplicating for a period of time, before it could be granted. Jesus corroborated this when He taught about importunity in prayer (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-7).
Mostly, you do not ask something in passing, in an incidental manner,from God and get it. That is, you do not ask something casually from God and expect to receive it. Although, there are some things that could be gotten casually in prayer but a serious request would need a serious approach; you would need to talk to God in a Father and son or daughter relationship setting. You would need to supplicate or plead before such is gotten. The most effective prayer is the prayer you conversely prayed, in which your needs or requests are made known to God whilst conversing with Him (Genesis 18:20-33).
Most of the recorded Abraham's prayers with God were conversational (Genesis 15:1-16; 17:1-22; 18:17-33). It is not a kind of prayer where you have a list of requests already, which you started pouring them out the moment you get to the place of prayer and at the end you said, I know you have heard me, I thank you in Jesus' name. In conversational prayer, you would be in a relax but serious mood before God telling Him matters of concern that are bothering your mind
In addition, some requests might also require the expression of your whole being in which tears would be shed to get your request granted. Whilst Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, His sweat was said to be like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). He was perspiring, needed God's help and attention at that critical time of His earthly ministry. He wanted to do the Will of God but the flesh was weak (Matthew 26:41), He was being sent to the cross.
Lastly, prayer should never be casual or incidental, occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation. It has to be intentionally done, approaching God in a Father and son or daughter relationship.
Peace.