DAILY DISCIPLINE #126
By Colleen Donahue

In this teaching on prayer (part three) Jesus sets a divide between those that are casual inquirers and those who are diligent in their quest for God. Prayer is to be an active and engaging exchange with our Heavenly Father. We are not to sit as though we were engaged in a séance -- i.e. passively waiting for something to happen. No, Jesus teaches us that there are three actions we are to take when we pray.

Our Lord's Teaching on Prayer -Part 3: Ask, Seek and Knock
Matthew 7:7-11

 

Ask, Seek, Knock - Read Matthew 7:7-11

Day 1- Jesus, in telling us to ask, seek, and knock is using the present imperative tense in Greek which could be better translated: "keep on asking", "keep on seeking", "keep on knocking". In other words, we are to persist in prayer. It is a test of our desire.
Luke 11:5-10 / Luke 18: 1-8 / John 15:7 / 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Day 2- When we ask for something we are talking straight. We are sharing directly with God what we see that we need. We are not "beating around the bush" , which is a phrase that implies we are indirectly trying to let someone know what we need without asking directly for it. God as our Father loves to be asked directly.
John 14:14 / 16:24

Day 3- In these verses substitute the word "ask" for the word "pray" and you get the truth behind what Christ is teaching.
Philippians 4:6 / 1 Thessalonians 5:17 / James 5:13

Day 4- When we seek for something, we are looking or searching for it. We try to reach and obtain it. When we are seeking God or looking to him for the answers in life we are to keep on until we find what we seek. What does God promise to seekers?
Deuteronomy 4:29 / 2 Chronicles 7:14 / Proverbs 8:17 / Jeremiah 29:13-14a

Day 5- When we knock on a door with our fist we are making a noise to let the person inside the house know that we want to see them. We want the door to open so that we can transact some business with the person inside. Jesus is telling us that we are to knock on our Heavenly Father's door and keep on knocking until he opens it!
Genesis 32:26 / Isaiah 58:9 / Zechariah 13:9

Day 6- Jesus' simple argument for all men to go to their Heavenly Father in prayer is that he is a loving Father who will never refuse the requests of his children. God will not refuse our prayers, nor will he mock them by giving us something that looks like what we want but isn't. He will always answer our prayers -- BUT --- in his own way of perfect love and wisdom.
Psalm 18:6,16 / Psalm 34:15,17 / Psalm 91:15 / Isaiah 65:24 / Micah 7:7

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