MORE THOUGHTS ON PRAYER
Matthew 7:7-11

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you are among the more familiar of verses we know from the Bible.  These verses really are a key to our understanding of the importance of prayer.  In our last study we noticed that these words imply our need for persistence in prayer.  We are to keep on seeking.  We are to keep on asking.  We are to keep on knocking.

But there is a second implication.  We don’t receive answers because we don’t pray correctly.  Listen to these words from James:  You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:2-3).  We pray, lacking faith.  We pray, lacking the proper motivation.  I think John Newton captured the power of prayer when he wrote:  Come, my soul, thy suit prepare; Jesus loves to answer prayer.  He Himself has bid thee pray, Therefore will not say thee nay.  Thou art coming to a King; Large petitions with thee bring.  For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much.  Or listen to these words of the great Bible preacher and teacher, R.A. Torrey:  Prayer can do everything that God can do, and as God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent.  No one can stand against the man who knows how to pray and who meets all the conditions of prevailing prayer and who really prays.

Jesus then continues by giving some homey illustrations of how prayer works.   He says, Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Would a father mock his son’s hunger by giving him a stone that looked like bread?  Of course not!  Jesus then states, Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  Would a father mock his son’s hunger by giving him an eel, a snake-like fish that was unclean to eat, instead of a piece of fish?  Of course not!  Luke, in his account of this sermon, adds these words from Jesus, Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? (Luke 11:12).  Friends, just as a father would only provide what is necessary out of love, so God will never refuse our prayers and He will never mock our prayer either.

Let’s see if we can capsulate these thoughts on prayer into a form that we can more easily remember.  First, we must know what to ask for and whether it accords with God’s will.  Remember that petition from the Lord’s Prayer, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Second, we must believe that God can grant those requests.  Finally, we must genuinely want to receive them. 

I’ll close our chat today with the following story.  The Sunday  the church was dedicating the new organ, something happened to the electrical connections, and the organ could not be played.  The pastor proceeded with the service, while an electrician fixed the trouble.  As the minister was about to pray, he received this note, “After the prayer the power will be on.”  Friends, more prayer might help us to receive more power, don’t you agree?

Father, We do lack power today because we are not faithful in our praying.  In our praying we hesitate to ask You for the great things because our faith is weak.  Lord, energize our prayer lives.  Rekindle that spark of intimacy with You through prayer.  Make us to boldly come before the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and find grace in our day of need.  We pray this in Christ’s name.  Amen.

 

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