And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9
Are you waiting on something you desire from your Good Father? Are you trying to hold on to confidence though it has been such a long time? You are not alone. I’ve been praying for healing for years. I’ve only gotten more ill. Recently, I gave up. I just couldn’t take keeping the hope anymore because it hurts so much when that hope is dashed. I lost faith for a little while. But God reminded me not to give up. Jesus told us more than once to keep praying.
Luke 11:5-13 reads,
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Too many of us have a hard time understanding how very profoundly, completely, and personally God loves us and just how very good He is. We can’t grasp it because we base our understanding of Him on the people we know in our lives, our dads, our employers, and other authority figures. But they are broken. They are not as good as God. We are imperfect. Jesus knew that, so He asked us to look at how we, even in our imperfection respond to a friend or a child. Then He went further and compared how even evil people will do good things if we keep asking.
Luke 18:1-8 says
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,‘ Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Lord loves you and His love isn’t marred by imperfections, selfishness, or pride. God’s love is perfect because He is Love! (1 John 4:8). God loves you and He doesn’t want you to give up. Please don’t. Just keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Want it desperately! Want Him desperately. Want Him the way a thirsty animal desires water. That animal knows it needs water to exist and it does whatever it must to find that water. Life is not always sunshine and roses, sometimes it is storms and thorns. But if we know who our Father is, we know He is good and He will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). We think on the goodness and love of God and we know the hope of our future.
Psalm 42:1-4 reads,
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Verses 7-8 of that Psalm read,
Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
And verse 11 says,
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
How many times did Jesus say whatever we ask, would be given or done? John 14:13 reads,
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
That sentiment is repeated in Matthew 18:19, Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24, John 15:7; John 15:16; John 16:23-24; James 1:5-6; James 1:17; 1 John 3:22; and 1 John 5:14-15. Jesus was insistent and tireless in getting this message across to us. Keep praying and do not give up hope. Have faith, people are watching us and how we respond to our difficulties. Our lives could glorify the Lord and lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ. We also understand that God is Sovereign, Good, Faithful and True. Don’t give up! Hang in there.
Luke 11:5-13 reads,
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Too many of us have a hard time understanding how very profoundly, completely, and personally God loves us and just how very good He is. We can’t grasp it because we base our understanding of Him on the people we know in our lives, our dads, our employers, and other authority figures. But they are broken. They are not as good as God. We are imperfect. Jesus knew that, so He asked us to look at how we, even in our imperfection respond to a friend or a child. Then He went further and compared how even evil people will do good things if we keep asking.
Luke 18:1-8 says
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,‘ Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Lord loves you and His love isn’t marred by imperfections, selfishness, or pride. God’s love is perfect because He is Love! (1 John 4:8). God loves you and He doesn’t want you to give up. Please don’t. Just keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Want it desperately! Want Him desperately. Want Him the way a thirsty animal desires water. That animal knows it needs water to exist and it does whatever it must to find that water. Life is not always sunshine and roses, sometimes it is storms and thorns. But if we know who our Father is, we know He is good and He will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). We think on the goodness and love of God and we know the hope of our future.
Psalm 42:1-4 reads,
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Verses 7-8 of that Psalm read,
Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
And verse 11 says,
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
How many times did Jesus say whatever we ask, would be given or done? John 14:13 reads,
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
That sentiment is repeated in Matthew 18:19, Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24, John 15:7; John 15:16; John 16:23-24; James 1:5-6; James 1:17; 1 John 3:22; and 1 John 5:14-15. Jesus was insistent and tireless in getting this message across to us. Keep praying and do not give up hope. Have faith, people are watching us and how we respond to our difficulties. Our lives could glorify the Lord and lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ. We also understand that God is Sovereign, Good, Faithful and True. Don’t give up! Hang in there.
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