“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11
Perhaps one of the most abused or misused verses in the Bible is in Matthew chapter 7. If I want it than God will give it to me. If He doesn’t, I will be upset with God because I have decided I need what I asked for. Actually there are a few reasons that I see that might affect God’s answer to our prayers.
First. We have failed to examine our hearts. We have some un-confessed sin tucked away in the corner of your heart. We have decided that the sin doesn’t matter. That you can stand before a holy God even though we have quenched the Spirit with the sin that we are embracing. Yes, we are children of God. Washed in the blood. But we need to clear the air … approach God with clean hands and a clean hearts.
“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.” – Psalm 24:3-5
Second. In God’s wisdom, there is a better answer to the reason why we are praying than the one that we have decided is the best one. This is a test of submission to the will of the Father. Are we really committed to seeking His will or is it only when His will agrees with ours?
Third. As the King James Version says “You ask amiss”. Perhaps it is our flesh, our old nature, that we are seeking to satisfy and not the will of God.
“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:2-3
If everything is for God’s glory, why are His answers not good enough when we don’t get what we asked for? If God’s will for us is for our good and His glory, then the test is, can we trust God even when He is silent. When we don't get what we asked for. God is not here to serve us. It is quite the opposite. Even grocery stores are delivering what they sell to homes. In the midst of this pandemic we nearly don’t have to leave the house – or at least our cars. I was in a local grocery store the other day and told the cashier that I saw more store employees shopping for curb side orders than I saw customers shopping. But God does not take delivery orders. It is so very important that we have the right view toward God. Unlike the TV show, God does not want to “friend you” on Facebook! He is not our heavenly, omnipotent buddy. He is the creator God who sacrificed His Son that we might be adopted and eternally blessed – for His glory and for our good. He loves us and has already blessed us. We all should keep that in mind when we approach Him in prayer.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” – Ephesians 1:3-6
There is a song “Even If” by Mercy Me that speaks to what our attitude should be.
“I know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't My hope is You alone
They say it only takes a little faith To move a mountain
Well good thing A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing It is well
with my soul”
Is it well?
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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