“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11
When you pray…
I think one of the reasons we don’t always pray as much as we could is because we don’t really think God is listening and working. After all, God doesn’t typically speak back to us audibly, we don’t see instant results, and sometimes the way God works isn’t the way we wanted.
Jesus says the Father is listening, cares, and does act.
He cares like a good father. He helps and provides better than we earthly fathers ever could. Sometimes that means He doesn’t give us exactly what we want. I don’t give my kids exactly what they want all the time either.
My son once asked if he could jump out of a second-story window.
I said, “No.”
Even I, a sinful, foolish father know that to love my child means sometimes I have to say, “No.” How much more does our Father in Heaven, who is good, all-knowing, wise, and perfectly loving, know when He should say, “Yes,” “No,” or “Not now.”
However, make no mistake. God does act.
He gives good gifts. He gives what we really need. Most importantly, He draws us closer to Him as He acts on us.
That’s something we don’t always realize about prayer. Praying isn’t just about asking God for stuff and getting stuff. It’s also about being reminded of your relationship with God. When you pray you are reminded that…
So, next time you pray, remember that God will act. He will give you what is good, what you need. He will also act on You to draw you closer to Him and help you to learn to trust Him more.
Heavenly Father,
I know that You hear me because You promise so in Your Word. I know that You love me because You sent Jesus to save me. Help me to come to You in prayer and trust that You will act… as a good Father would.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
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