7. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11. 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! 12. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
This week we are praying for the election in our country as decisions affect the economy of the world. We also know by prophecy there will be economic meltdown in our world before the coming of Christ. Is this the time? Letting God know our concerns thoughts and praises is all part of prayer. Many Christians in our nation pray every day. Proverbs 14:34 "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people."
We would do well as a nation to seek the wisdom and will of God and intercede for our future president. We would do well as a church to pray seeking the will of the Lord. Certainly, His will is also what we desire in our personal lives to be blessed throughout eternity.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had already addressed the issue of prayer and called His followers to a heart felt conversation with God not based on repetitious babbling or pretence to be seen by others. He wanted a personal, private, intimate time with each one of us. That makes a significant difference, but it isn’t long on our Christian walk we start asking, ‘Why aren’t my prayers answered?”
There was a movie entitled, “On Gods and Generals”. It captured the theme of the faith of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Andrew Jackson. Each were praying and seeking the will of God while fighting in a war they felt was right. They were on opposite sides.. It is so easy to make the enemy all bad and us all good. What do you do with people who are praying for their side to win out of faith and some type of commitment to God. For the leaders of the south, it seemed (at least according to the book) that the issue was more freedom than slavery.
It is common in war, for each to pray to God for victory. How about when a farmer prays for rain and another church person prays that it will not rain as they are planning a picnic that day.
Too often prayers reveal more about the one praying than the One to whom they pray. Jesus gave another lesson on prayer. You’ll remember that in 6th chapter Jesus criticizes the attitude of praying to impress other people. He taught it was to be a personal conversation with our creator in a private manner. We are to give God praise, seek wisdom, make Biblical requests, seek forgiveness, seek His protection and we are to act on our own prayers in righteousness obedience and openness. We have already talked a great deal about proper and improper praying, and incidentally there are many other passages that further guide us in Scriptures. It’s hard to build a particular theology around any one passage alone. It must be looked at in connection with other teachings.
Jesus was talking to His followers, to those who are kingdom people who are to live and act under the Lordship of Jesus. Previously we already learned we are not to be concerned with the things of this world, but to things that matter for the kingdom of God. God knows what you need so “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (be they food, clothes, daily needs) will be given to you as well”.
In James we are corrected when he writes, “We have not because we ask not, or we ask wrongly seeking to fulfill our own lusts.” Americans seem to be the very best in selfish egocentric praying. “Gemme, gemme, gemme” is much more prevalent than ask, seek, and knock.
Application: Don’t be so fast to judge others. Come clean before God in repentance. Seek personal forgiveness. Do you really want God’s will and guidance in your life? Then Ask, Seek and Knock. It will be answered.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus as we look into your lessons on prayer this week, teach me to pray.
