Ask....Seek....Knock.....

“Keep on asking, and you will receive…

Keep on seeking, and you will find….

Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened…”

(Matthew 7:7 NLT)

Ask me what keeps my heart tuned to my Father God, and I will tell you: Prayer.

How do I deal with the day to day stress and mess, all that I realize I must accomplish the moment my feet touch the floor: Prayer.

When I am completely overwhelmed with worries for my husband, my children, my family, my friends, I am turning to the only action I know will bring swift release: Prayer.

My quiet time today was a perfectly timed reminder of what the purpose of prayer is: Our focus, our intent as we enter into prayer is key.

Are you praying to get an answer, a relief, the thing that you think will fix your current circumstance or life challenge?

-OR-

Are you praying to grow closer to the God who created you and loves you?

If we are focused as our God intends, our prayer habit is absolutely about one thing and one thing alone:

Relationship

It is THE relationship that matters above all others. The relationship we have with our Father God. Consider the purpose for your ask, before you ask. Is your prayer shaped primarily by what you hope to receive? Or are you entering into your prayer trusting first in God’s perfect purpose for you? When we pray, it ought to be out of a completely selfless and hopeful focus on what our great God has for each of us. It is so easy and can be an immediate downer if we allow ourselves to play the comparison game.

“Wow! Look at what God did for her. I wish He would do the same for me.”

God doesn’t want us to do that with one another. He wants us to delight in each other’s triumphs, and support each other entirely when tragedy strikes. Satan would like nothing more than to see us swallowed up and consumed by the disappointments we have experienced in this life. We have a choice: we can grip tightly to what we think we have control of, or we can release it and trust our God entirely. He has it all in his hands, it is never really ours to control. There was a season in my life when I let fear, doubt, disappointment, and heartbreak cripple me. I let the reality of my circumstances outweigh what I knew in my heart to be true about the God who was bigger than all of it. God has something great and glorious for each one of us, but we have to trust His timing. The timing for my life is entirely different from the timing for your life. So, when something we pray for goes unanswered, our response should be, “Thank you, Father!” When it seems that God is silent, our response should be to lean in and love Him all the more. This is the moment, perfectly timed moment, for each of us to simply delight in our time with our God. How much of your prayer time are you spending asking Him for what you want and then telling Him how you think it should be done?

I have learned in my 46 years on this planet that prayer is always open ended. When I say “Amen” it doesn’t mean I’m done praying. There is blessed ongoing fellowship between me and my Father God throughout the day, every single day, as I lift my prayers to Him. Some are audible and visible, which means if you pass me driving down Chestnut Expressway and I’m the only one in the car talking away…..yep. I’m praying or singing, either one, because it’s what I do to keep my connection with my Father God. Some are intimate and in a place I have set aside at home, so that I have no distractions from my focus on Him. Some are in the kitchen with my family, when we pray for each other before dinner, praying for our families, for our friends, for the day to day responsibilities that each of us faces. Some are in the dark of night, as I am struggling to go to sleep and prepare mentally for the next day ahead. My favorite prayer times are with my husband and my children. There is no greater joy than to be in tune spiritually with each other and with our God, whether it is giving thanks for what He has already given, or asking Him to provide in a powerful way.

It's my opinion that the focus of our prayer habit is far more important than the mechanics of it. God hears every word, in every language, in whatever way you choose to speak to Him. He hears us. He is a good Father. He is entirely loving and faithful. And He has purpose for each one of us far beyond what we can ever ask and imagine.

I’m not done learning about the power of prayer in my own life. God keeps teaching me as I lean into Him more, what joy there is in keeping it up….

Ask….Seek….Knock……