SEEKING OUR MERCIFUL FATHER IN PRAYER
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Amazing… the Lord of all cares deeply about all that concerns us. Until we truly believe this, our prayers will lack the devotion, the passion, the perseverance He desires.
“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.” – Matthew 7:7-8
Jesus teaches of the supreme importance of prayer. Here, He is exhorting His disciples to persist in prayer… to not lose heart and abandon their petitions because of discouragement. We read often of the close communion Jesus had with His Father throughout His time on earth. All was shared with the Father… and the Father shared all with the Son.
Ask… What does Jesus mean by this? Do we ask a few times and give up if our prayers are unanswered?
Let us look at our Lord… how He asks of us. He asks that we follow Him. He does not ask half-heartedly… nor does He give up after asking a limited number of times. His desire is for our salvation. His life was given as a living sacrifice for us. He is the Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). He will continue to ask of us for a lifetime if necessary.
“In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6
Our Father wants us to bring everything before Him. Yet our asking in prayer needs to be sincere. It needs to be persevering. And it needs to stem from an earnest motivation deep in our spirits. We ask of our merciful God as one who is thirsty, who longs for a refreshing cup of water. We ask as one who is lost, who is searching to find the way.
Seek… What does Jesus mean by this? Do we seek God in prayer only when it is convenient?
Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls, seeks us out when we are lost… when we believe we have no need for Him. He is not deterred. He continues to pursue us. He seeks us when we go astray. He leaves the 99 in search of the one. He will never lose any of whom His Father has given Him (John 6:39). For He longs to lead us to His eternal pasture.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13
Our Father longs for us to seek Him in prayer… to come into His presence… to commune with Him. We come with humble, reverent hearts. We pray with devotion and passion. We seek Him as one would seek out a lost jewel, a prized heirloom, a pearl of great price. We seek Him as one whose heart is bereft without Him, our treasured possession.
Knock… What does Jesus mean by this? Do we give up knocking if we believe God is not answering?
Jesus stands at the door of our hearts… tirelessly knocking, waiting patiently for an answer… for an invitation to enter in (Revelation 3:20). He is the Good Shepherd who promises us salvation. He will never give up knocking. For He desires to make His home with us. Yet He cannot abide in an unreceptive heart.
“I am the Door for the sheep… anyone who enters through Me will be saved.” – John 10:7, 9
Our Father desires that we persist in our prayers. He encourages our constancy. Our entrance into His presence is by way of Jesus, our Shepherd. We pray with intention and conviction. We knock as one who desires admittance. We knock even when we appear to be shut out. We knock… knowing the One who loves us will surely answer. For our faith is the key that unlocks.
“Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” – Luke 18:1
Ask… Seek… Knock – The original text for these verbs is present active imperative… commands to be followed not just once but continually and ongoing. The text can be more closely interpreted as: Keep on asking… Keep on seeking… Keep on knocking. Jesus is giving us a three-fold assurance of success for our prayers.
Our Lord’s words imply an ever-increasing passion and intensity. Even when we see no change, no answers, we do not give up. We continue to pray with confidence. God may be working in unseen realms. Yet we can trust that He acts in response to the faithful prayers of His people.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” – John 15:7
Jesus expresses this caveat for our prayer requests. God will answer the petitions of the righteous… the ones washed clean by the blood of His son… the ones who walk closely in His ways (1 John 3:22). Yet we are to ask in His name (John 14:14)… by faith (Matthew 21:22)… and in line with God’s will (1 John 5:14-15). Our gracious Father will always answer according to His perfect wisdom and our ultimate good.
