Focus Scripture: Matthew 7:7-8
Prayer is one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines for a christian to remain consistent in our daily lives. We often find it easier to volunteer in ministry. Why? Primarily, because we can “see” the effort and fruit that our hands have labored in. Prayer is different. When we enter into prayer, all human activity must cease. We are going “needy” before a God, whom we do not see, and in faith believing he exists and hears us (Heb 11:1).
Our relationship with God requires our active pursuit of him. The Bible exhorts us to seek Him, for our hearts will pursue what we love (Mt 6:19-21). Prayer is the vehicle God has given us that gives us access to Him. During the time Old Testament Levitical Offering and Sacrificial System only one appointed priest could enter into the presence of God on the “Day of Atonement.” Under the New Covenant, Christ salvific work on the cross has made it possible that we can go boldly before God without a human intermediary (Heb 4:14-16). Christ and his Spirit are our advocate and mediator (Rom 8:26-27, 1 Tim 2:5). As a result, we have access to God the Father through daily prayer(s).
How do we approach God in prayer?
- Earnestly – we approach God with humility, being serious in our intentions, sincere, and with fervency.
- Diligently – we conscientiously approach God as primary priority in our lives. We are attentive and persistent in our pursuit of him.
- With Perseverance – we are steadfast in our prayer life despite our struggles with: (a) Desire to Pray; (b) Being discouraged by unanswered prayers; and (c) lapses in faith. Faith helps us to persevere in the life of prayer regardless of the difficulty we face in engaging in it.
In the focus text, Jesus uses three central “action words” (i.e. verbs) to describe a persistent prayer life.
(1) He exhorts us to “ask.” Many times we do not receive because we are afraid to ask. In life, we typically make a petition of someone with the expectation we will actually receive an answer from them. Further, we trust in the character of such person that if they agree to fulfill our request, they will deliver on their promise. How much more should ask of God, in faith in his immutable character as our Provider and Promise keeper? We should ask with confidence, that he will answer us according to his will (1 Jn 5:14-15).
(2) He exhorts us to “seek.” It is human nature to search for anything we are missing. If we lose a valuable pearl in our room, it will not be found unless we diligently turn the room upside down looking for it. Likewise in prayer, we are to persist in seeking after God. No matter the obstacles, we are to seek after the Lord for our needs until God answers. In such an exhortation, Jesus embeds a promise……”seek, and you will find.” Here are couple of great examples of “active” pursuit of God we can use principally as application to our prayer life:
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- Remember, “The Blind Beggar” who continuously cried out for Jesus until he was heard, for he wanted healing for his blindness (Lk 18:35-43).
- Then there was the, “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” story that Jesus uses to teach us to consistently endure obstacles to prayer until God answers (Lk 18:1-8).
- In Gospel of Luke, a group of men bring a paralytic man to Jesus to be healed. A crowd was blocking the entrance to Jesus’s home, thus obstructing their access to Him so the paralytic man’s needs could be met. They did not allow the human barricade to stop them, but instead persisted in their pursuit of Jesus. In faith, they took a detour by climbing to the top of the house and let the man down through the roof tiles. Jesus commended their faith (Lk 5:18-26).
(3) He exhorts us to “knock.” When desire an entrance into a room or home with a closed door, we knock. We must remember that Jesus likens himself as “The Door” (Jn 10:7-10). If we come to him in faith, he gives us access into fellowship with God as adopted child. Jesus says, “…knock, and it will be opened to you.” Jesus is the door we must approach to have access to the Father. Jesus will never turn away anyone who comes to him in faith (Jn 6:37).
Faith is the key ingredient we need in prayer. Why? Because when we pray to God we are endeavoring to draw near to him. In doing so, we must believe God is who he has revealed himself to be in the sacred scriptures. If we do not believe that God would hear and answer our prayers, we would not be encouraged to call upon him. A prayer life that is destitute of faith can receive nothing from God (Heb 11:6).
The promise is this in Heb 11:6, that God will reward those who “diligently” seek him. What is this reward? The reward is not primarily the answering our prayers for material provisions, though that is always helpful that God provides for these types of needs (Mt 6:31-34). The true prize we are seeking after is this………that in drawing near to God, he draws near to us that we may experience his presence and fellowship that:
- Helps us clearly see our sin as he exposes it to us (Jn 3:20-21). Sin in our lives hinders fruitful fellowship with God.
- Provides a place of grace and mercy for our confession of sin (after receiving right diagnosis) and receipt of forgiveness through Jesus (1 Jn 1:9).
- Assures of our salvation.
- Assures us that God will care for our needs.
- Is a refuge in time of trouble.
- Illuminates our dull understanding and provides a heavenly perspective on our earthly lives. God helps us to hold fast to an eternal Christ centered focus in a dark temporal world (Col 3:1-4, 1 Cor 7:31, 1 Jn 2:17).
- Gifts us with a foretaste of the promises to come in Jesus in the new creation (Isa 65:17, 66:22, Heb 12:26-29, 2 Pt 3:12-13, Rev 21:1). This is vitally important because this encourages us to not cling to our lives and love this fallen world.
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com