God wants us to be in continuous contact!
One thing that God has made clear throughout the Bible is that he wants us to depend on him. If we look closely at Matthew 7:7-8 we have the essence of how Christ expects us to be able to live out his commandments.
- We need to ask, and keep on asking –
- We are to seek, and keep on seeking –
- We should knock, and keep on knocking –
The Sermon on the Mount is a challenging lifestyle change for many, especially those in his audience at the time. He wanted all to know that God is listening and is ready to help us.
As a prayerful people, we will come to understand how God answers prayers. The first thing we might notice is that his response isn’t exactly a direct one. We should remember “No” is an answer too. Anything we pray for has the same possibilities as any other request. A prayer can be answered…
- Gradually
- Literally
- Negatively
- By giving us what we actually need
- With delay
With a quick look around the Bible, we can know the proper attitude we should have to approach God in prayer:
- We should not be living in sin (Psalm 66:18)
- We need to have faith in the prayer and that God is listening (James 1:6-8)
- It needs to offered the way God said to offer it (1 John 5:14)
- We should do it persistently (Luke 18:1-8)
- We should do it sincerely (Hebrews 10:22)
Today, take a close look at your prayer life. Is it one that let’s God know you need him and trust him?
January 8, 2014
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