Persistence in Prayer

“ Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. MATTHEW 7:7 AMP

The words of Jesus himself. He owns all things and has promised to give us all that we need, yet he demands that we ask, seek and knock. He has assured us that no demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven,  yet he expects us to make that demand on those resources. He has been introduced to us as God our Provider, yet he wants to hear me ask and knock and wants to see me seeking him out. The first word that comes to my heart is "Relationship".

God can give me all I desire and need even without me saying a word. After all, the earth as we see it now was already created, with all its resources, long before man was made. Even when there was no man, a mist came from under the ground to water the earth, so God can sustain the earth even without our help. It is a privilege for us to be counted worthy of working with God to sustain, nourish and improve his creation.

So God says ask and keep on asking. You don't ask once and shut up, thinking you are disturbing God, or maybe you need to keep reminding him over and over again. " Relationship ": he desires to hear my voice, as I speak with him in frequent prayer. He says I should seek, and keep on seeking. On this side of earth, you can never have a full knowledge of who God is. You keep discovering, you keep knowing more. It is a never-enform process, and the fullness only commences on the other side of eternity. He says I should knock and keep on knocking. Sometimes, our staying power is tested by God when he 'delays' in giving us answers. He tests our convictions, seeking to know if we will stay the course even when things are not working out the way we planned it.

In all situations, there is an equal and commensurate response from God. That is a promise you can bank on, that God would always do whatever he has promised. Nothing I experience can diminish God's power and might. All he needs from me is absolute devotion and commitment. He is faithful; can I be trusted to do as he has asked? His time of favour is here.