PRAYING PERSISTENTLY
Matthew 7:7-8
For our prayers to be effective, they need to be persistent. We pray with assurance because we know that God answers and that He is good. Jesus teaches that we must pray earnestly asking for God to supply. The Greek verb tense for ask, seek, and knock indicates God’s children continually and persistently make their requests known. We ask because our God is gracious. His nature is to respond.
What do we ask for? Thankfully, Jesus does not limit what to ask for. We just ask. And God’s nature is to respond and to give. We must be careful not to adopt a name it and claim it prayer mentality. Nowhere in God’s Word do we find warrant for such false doctrine. God works through the prayers of His people. As James says, sometimes we have not because we have not asked. Within the context of this passage we should be asking for wisdom to discern between what is right and what is wrong and to speak truth in love to the world around us.
What do we seek? Again, there no limitations or qualification. There appears to be an escalation though in the nature of our requests though as we move from asking to seeking. We are looking for God to respond since He has promised that He will do so. Our posture of prayer includes eyes of faith that ask believing He is gracious and good and looking for His response. Too frequently we are satisfied to ask and then never return to look harder and see if God has responded. When we consider the kingdom, the supreme thing we are seeking is the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Our requests should enable us to see His kingdom come and His will be done.
Why do we knock? Jesus says the door will be opened to you. Again, the requesting escalates to the point where we knock on the door we asked to be opened. Such persistence and earnestness with God are commendable. The door that is before us is opened by grace through faith. The just learn to live that way. Such truth must govern our times of prayer as we persist to knock on closed doors believing God can open them if it is His will.
Ask, seek, and knock! Jesus teaches us it is essential that we be persistent in our prayer time today. Try it out. Make a list so you can watch and see how your Heavenly Father answers each request. Do not give up in your prayer time. Who knows if the door might just open today!