Good Morning!!!!
After busy and crazy morning sending my three kids off to three different schools and dropping off "always late husband" at the train station, I am sitting down at the table in my sun-filled dining room (southern exposure) and being soaked into the Word of God. Today's reading was so encouraging and up lifting for me especially because I have been asking, seeking, and knocking with some issues in my life.
In v7-v8, we learned that Jesus emphasizes persistent prayer from us. Jesus is telling us not to stop praying and not to seek anything else but God alone because He is listening to our prayers and will answer according to His Will (1 John 14). We know that His Will is perfect and just. V9 through v11 supports the Perfect and Just God by saying that God knows more than anyone else including yourself what is best for you. We may sometimes ask God a wrong thing or ask with wrong motives because of our ignorance or sinful nature. For example, we may ask God for a stone or snack believing that that's the best thing for us. God as being a loving and kind father even then give us bread and fish. God is telling us to pray without ceasing even if you don't know whether you are praying in accordance with God's Will or not, either way God will let you know, don't you think? But if we don't come to God with our prayers at all, how will we ever find out? God wants us to come to him as a child. He wants us to come to him with a confidence that our loving heavenly father whose love is immeasurable and uncomprarble is right here with you and ready to pour out His blessing on us.
I have been praying about my rental home that I bought three years ago. Because of the down real estate market, the value of the home went down quite a bit. Even having the rental in there and collecting a monthly rent, the amount is not sufficient to cover all other expenses that go with the house. I have two rental homes. When I bought this house, I did it out of own decision. I didn't seek God because I thought I was smart enough to make a decision for all by myself. How foolish I was!! But even God turned that situation to teach me a lesson or two recently. I am so convicted and desire to live my life simple and free from the bondage of debts, materalism, and financial stress and burden so that I have more abundant and full life in Jesus Christ. I have been praying about it and seeking God's direction. I am strongly convinced that it is the Will of God to sell the house. Although everything else in the current circumstances indicate that it's not good time to sell since 30 more homes like mine on the market and I have to sell it at loss, I put my confidence in God alone. I will continue to ask, seek, and knock. I know for sure my heavenly father will answer my prayer!!!
Let’s all continue to lift up our prayers to God regardless of how insignificant matters may be. We will rejoice together by witnessing each other's prayers being answered.
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6 comments:
thank you, kwijung, for a moving and honest reflection. this passage reminds us that we often forget how good we have it when we pray.
God knows the desires of our hearts, even before we pray. prayer is OUR approaching of God, a willingness to reveal to Him those things He already knows.
the asking of something goes far beyond the mere action. it is expressing a certain confidence and trust that that Person is not only ABLE but WILLING to grant your request.
those who don't really know God--who don't know Him in this personal way--never ask. they don't bother to pray, or they pray for a season, then give up, resentful and bitter that prayer didn't "work".
but Jesus encourages us to pray, continuously, urgently, without ceasing. those who know God pray this way, even about small things.
c.s. lewis makes the point that those who don't pray about "small" things will not have the faith to pray about "big" things when they arise. this is what he says.
just as "those who do not turn to God in petty trials will have no habit to help them when the great trials come,
"so those who have not learned to ask Him for childish things will have less readiness to ask Him for great ones.
"we must not be too high-minded. i fancy we may be deterred from small prayers from a sense of our own dignity rather than God's". (from letters to malcolm).
...i'm an expert at doing the will of helen then asking God to bless my mess!
as a mom, i see how my children struggle and my heart aches because i know of a better way... our Father in heaven wants us to take everthing to him in prayer... i often fall into the trap believing that somethings are not worthy but i do believe He wants to bless His children in all areas of our lives
may we seek whant He wants for us!
Thank you for sharing unni. I'm always moved by your faith. We don't knock because we think there's no one inside to listen. But Jesus implys there is someone who will open it ALWAYS, maybe waiting for you saying like "Are you there yet?." I think I've made Him wait a lot of times even right now feel like he's asking,
Are you there?
Thanks for sharing Kwijung! I am thankful to God as I read this passage for the perfect way that He answers prayers!
thanks for your insight kwijung. i know what stands in my way to pray specifically with requests is my pride and my lack of knowledge of who God is and what He is capable of.
i also used to think that we could only come to God with certain types of requests. i used to feel a sense of guilt when i wanted to pray for myself, but now i know and believe God knows all and wants to hear from us. the fact that we come to Him in prayer is a huge step. it shows that we are weak and must ask God, who is much greater, for help. no matter how big or small it may be, we should not fear to ask God for ANYTHING. He is always there waiting for us. May we be able to put aside our pride, fear, doubt, or whatever is standing in our way to surrender and come to God in prayer.
I have been seeking God about my future a lot, but it's so easy to give up and try to do things by my own way...thank you Kwijung! You reminded me one more time that he wants us to be persistent and keep praying!
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