ASK
"Ask and it will be given to you..."
Matthew 7:7a (NIV)
In Matthew 7, as Jesus gives His final Sermon on the Mount teachings, He circles back to a topic near to His heart: prayer. As recorded in Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus previously instructed the crowd on how to pray and described prayer as a connection with their Heavenly Father.
When Jesus resumes His discussion of prayer in Matthew 7:7-11, He continues to invite His followers into a relationship with the Father through three specific calls to action: ask, seek and knock. We'll lean into seeking and knocking later in the week. Today, let's linger a bit in the invitation to ask.
Asking can be intimidating, especially when the person you're appealing to has significant power and authority. We know this is true from human relationships. Imagine approaching the CEO of an organization, a high-ranking government official, or the President of the United States to ask for something you need. It can feel daunting, and you may even hold back out of fear they won't be attentive to your request.
If you transfer that intimidation onto God, who has ultimate power and authority, your heart may be tempted to hold back your needs and desires from Him. Your mind may doubt whether God has time for your request or cares about the little details of your life. After all, He's got the entire universe to run.
But that's the exact opposite of Jesus' instruction. The first word in Jesus' summary on prayer is ask! Don't hold back. God is both big enough to hold the universe together and intimate enough to care about every detail of your life. Jesus' invitation permits you to confidently approach Almighty God, and He assures that your request will receive a response. Just as a good father wants his children to come to him with their questions, needs and desires, your Heavenly Father delights when His sons and daughters request His intervention in their lives.
APPLICATION: What's one thing you've been afraid to ask for from God? Take a few moments right now to accept His invitation to ask for what's on your heart.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You that I can come before You and fearlessly ask for what I need. Today, I ask You for ____________. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?