There are many times in our life when the desires of our hearts are prominent, and we so badly want certain things to happen. Most of the time, we also want it done on our timetable. This reigns true for me as I am in my mid-twenties and it seems like tomorrow is too far and yesterday is too close. What areas of your life are you trying to rush God’s perfect timing?
Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” Some interpret this scripture differently, and some Christians have a valid frustration when they feel as though they’re asking
God shows up in things, and He doesn’t in the way they expect it.
Ask, seek, knock. Notice the three different senses being considered here. Asking is verbal; Christians must use their mouths and petition God for their needs and desires. And believers are to seek with their minds—this is more than asking; it is a setting of priorities and a focusing of the heart. To knock involves physical movement, one in which the Christian takes action. Although asking and seeking are important, they would be incomplete without knocking. The apostle John said Christians ought not to love in word alone but with actions also (1 John 3:18). In the same way, it’s good to pray and seek God, but if one does not also act in ways that are pleasing to God, all is for naught. It’s no accident that Jesus said believers should love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27).
Jesus is not saying that believers always get what they ask for—wrong motives, for example, will hinder answers to prayer (James 4:3). However, the more time a Christian spends in communion with God, the more he or she will know what to ask for in accordance with God’s will. Prayer, in and of itself, does not produce sanctification (an increasing holiness in a believer’s life), but it does show a dependence on God for needs that can be met no other way. God is always pleased with such displays of faith. Only faith in what God can do and what Christ has done brings about true sanctification, not artificial self-righteousness (Hebrews 11:6).
In this new season, let’s set our hearts on asking, seeking, and knocking in the way that Jesus intends for us to. In the new year, how can we spend more intentional time with God and sit in communion with him to recognize His will for our lives?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for who you are. God I pray to let go of control in this new year and recognize your time frame, will, and plan for my life will always be greater than mine. I pray to be refreshed in communion with you, knowing you love and care for me deeply. In Jesus Name, amen.
