Don’t Stop Asking

We should never stop asking, seeking and knocking.  Read Matthew 7:7-8, “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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  

It seems like we give up far too easily when we don’t receive what we pray for, but we need to endure and hang in there and not give up.  Think of this, do you ever seek God’s heart and not just His hands?  I like to praise the Lord when I start to pray, don’t forget God inhabits the praise of His people, oh yes, He loves it when we praise Him!!  And don’t forget this, the answer to your prayer may be just a prayer away.

Prayer is so important that you cannot be victorious in the Christian faith without it.  While Jesus was talking about prayer in the book of Luke, He told a parable about a judge that had no compassion in Luke 18:1-8, pleased read this “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’”

I have heard it said that prayer is the engine that runs the church.  Read what God’s word says in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The book of Hebrews was a book written to the Jews, but I think we can all benefit by putting these principles into practice about praying also. Now let’s read what it says in Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   This is another reason why it is so important to pray.

Remember the time when the Lord became righteously angry when He entered the Temple and drove out all those selling and buying in the Temple and commenced to turn over the tables and seats of those selling doves in Matthew 21?  Read what Jesus said in verse 13, “And He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Prayer was very important to Jesus also.  At one time He taught His disciples how to pray, read Luke 11:1-4, “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

There are so many reasons why it is so important to pray, so don’t give up, keep praying.  I hope this has been an encouragement and help to you. May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!