Through the Bible - Genesis 20-22, Matthew 8
Good morning,
For today's verse we'll go to Matthew 7 to a passage that encourages us to keep "asking, seeking, and knocking", it's about the importance of prayer in our lives.
C S Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains". Perhaps this is because in good times, or even in average times, we don't find the need to seek Hiim. We tend to seek Him when all else fails. What is Jesus asking us to do in this passage? Come to Him "in" all of these circumstances. Don't stop and don't let up.
John Piper writes, “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.” The repetition is meant to say, “I mean this.” I want you to do this. Ask your Father for what you need. Seek your Father for the help you need. Knock on the door of your Father’s house so he will open and give you what you need. Ask, seek, knock. I invite you three times because I really want you to enjoy your Father’s help."
We should be praying, talking to God regularly, personally, continually, in all circumstances. The NLT does a good job of conveying this by using the words "keep on".
Matthew 7:7 "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. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. NLT
or from the NKJV
Matt 7:7 "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.
What will we gain from doing so? John Piper gives us an outline from these verses:
"Seven promises. It will be given you. You will find. It will be opened to you. The asker receives. The seeker finds. The knocker gets an open door. Your Father will give you good things. Surely the point of this lavish array of promises is to say to us: Be encouraged to come. Pray to him. It is not in vain that you pray. God is not toying with you. He answers. He gives good things when you pray. Be encouraged. Pray often, pray regularly, pray confidently "....in 2009. See what a change it will bring in your life, in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Martin Luther, someone known for his prayer life (among other things) saw the way Jesus is motivating here:
"He knows that we are timid and shy, that we feel unworthy and unfit to present our needs to God. . . . We think that God is so great and we are so tiny that we do not dare to pray. . . . That is why Christ wants to lure us away from such timid thoughts, to remove our doubts, and to have us go ahead confidently and boldly.”
Don't be timid, don't be shy, don't stay away because you feel unfit or unworthy, go to Him boldly and confidently. What other verses or songs come to your mind that reinforce this? Think about them, may they lead you to pray more this year.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Matt 7:7-12
Effective Prayer
7 "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. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 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.
NLT
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