Ask. Seek. Knock.
How persistent are you in prayer?
Verse of the Day
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
Today’s Devotional
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7:7-11)
The section of scripture is tender for me. There are several things in my life that I have been praying for, asking God for, for years. But from what I can see with my human eyes, God has yet to answer these prayers. So…am I willing to trust God and take Him at His word? Or am I going to become discouraged by what my eyes can see?
I can only answer those questions for myself. Even though it feels tender, I choose to trust God. Even though I don’t like the apparent lack of an answer, I know that my continuing to seek Him in the midst of uncertainty is part of the process. I trust that there are things going on in the spiritual realm that I simply cannot see. And I choose HOPE, which is the confident expectation of the goodness of God.
I believe it’s possible that maybe my prayers are the equivalent of me asking God for a fish. And God’s answer might be that He is teaching me to fish. One thing that stood out to me as I was studying this section of scripture is this: asking is verbal, yet still somewhat passive. Seeking and knocking, however, require action. Am I actively, boldly looking for God’s answers and God’s will in the things I am praying for? Am I actively obedient while I am waiting for His answer?
There is a boldness in prayer that comes with faith. I see in others whose faith I admire. Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Are we confident in the graciousness of God? Are we secure in His desire to hear from us? Do we keep asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive an answer? Do we trust God enough to accept an answer that is not one we would have chosen? When the answer to these questions is a resounding “YES!”, then we are getting to the heart of the matter of prayer.
So why is there a delay between our request and God’s answer? It is likely because we are not prepared for the answer. His delay might actually be kindness. He is molding our character until we are ready. Think of a 15-year-old who asks for a car. The parents are capable and ready to provide a car, but until he has done the required classes, training, tests, and practice, he is not yet ready for a car. If he were given a car today, it would likely be a disaster.
When the delay happens, how do we handle it? Richard Foster writes, “We pray once or twice, and, when nothing seems to move, we go on to other matters, or sulk in self-pity, or even give up on prayer altogether. Our quick-fix approach is a little like turning on a light switch, and, if the lights do not come on immediately, declaring, “Well, I didn’t believe in electricity anyway!””
Jesus is teaching us to be people of prayer. We are to be living a life of prayer, in which we are always praying. Not that we should remain in a prayer closet on our knees and never go out to the world, but as we go we pray for God’s will, God’s guidance, God love and compassion for others, God’s words for us to say, God’s eyes for us to see – all throughout our days. And He is telling us to never give up. To never lose faith. To never waiver in our belief in a good God and His desire for us to live our lives for Him and in Him.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Are you confident in the graciousness of God? What evidence do you have?
Are we secure in His desire to hear from you? Why or why not?
Do you keep asking, seeking, and knocking until you receive an answer? Give an example.
Do you trust God enough to accept an answer that is not one you would choose?
How can you live a life of prayer?
How can you behave that shows that you will not give up on your relationship with God?