KNOCK
"...Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7c (NLT)
We live in a culture that markets immediate gratification. If you're hungry, pull out your phone and have a meal delivered in minutes. If you're bored, scroll through a list of entertainment options on your TV or device. If you don't have time to swing by the store, place an order online, and your items can be dropped off at your doorstep, sometimes in a matter of hours.
We've become so accustomed to having our wants and needs met quickly that we can feel frustrated and impatient when we encounter something that requires persistence and endurance.
Prayer absolutely requires persistence and endurance, and that can create tension within us. We want immediate results, but the fact is that Jesus' teaching on prayer doesn't include a delivery within an hour clause. Quite the opposite. He suggests it will take patience and ongoing effort.
The implication here is that prayer may sometimes feel like knocking against a closed door, and after a certain period of knocking without an answer, it may be tempting to give up. Maybe that's exactly where you find yourself today. You've been praying about someone or something for weeks, months, years or even decades, and yet the door remains shut. You begin to doubt whether the door will ever open, and you wonder if maybe you should just quit knocking.
Jesus implores you to keep knocking. God hears you, and He's not ignoring you. Sometimes, for reasons only He knows, He keeps doors closed far longer than we'd like. Our responsibility is not to try to figure out God's ways. Our responsibility is to keep showing up in faith and persevere with passion. Make no mistake, prayer takes time, grit and energy. But take heart, you're not knocking against a wall that has no means or hope of opening. You're knocking on the door of a wise and loving Father who, in His perfect discretion, opens doors at exactly the right time.
APPLICATION: Is there something you've been praying for and you're now tempted to stop? Ask the Lord to bring you clarity on whether you need to continue praying for that request. Recommit to praying as He leads and physically knock on something daily as a tangible expression of your persistent knocking before the Lord.
PRAYER: God, help me persevere in prayer. 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?