“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents— if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your heavenly Father give GOOD GIFTS to those who ask Him. “-{Matthew 7:7 -11 NLT}
Jesus gives a wonderful encouragement to continue praying, persevering through obstacles, to continue going to God in prayer, looking away to Jesus. The passage gives us some truths to help encourage us to persevere.
Consider these Seven truths to keep before you to remind yourself when things get tough, why you are and can persevere in believing prayer amidst troubling times, because of…The CHARACTER OF GOD….
- THE WILL OF GOD – The passage shows it’s His revealed Will For You, to persevere with hope In Him. How do you know? He has revealed it in these verses, in His unchanging Word! He Gives Motivation to Do so…. namely…
- THE PROMISE OF GOD – To Those Who persevere, “To everyone.” The phrase is mentioned three times in the passage. That they will “receive…find…the door will be opened to you!”
- THE POWER OF GOD -It’s One Thing To promise, it’s another to have the Power to deliver on it. God not only Promises, He has the Power to deliver, and ANSWER, all He promises!- ( Read John 15:7)
- THE GOODNESS OF GOD – God Our Heavenly Father is Good And Does Good And Answers Prayers. Lot looked on the land and it looked good to him, he never consulted the LORD. He leaned to his own understanding and ended up in Sodom and Gomorrah. His righteous soul suffered. We must bow to Him and know He knows what is “good,” and rest that He will not withhold what will honor Him most and be to and for our “good!” He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?-{Rom 8:32}
- THE WISDOM OF GOD – He Knows If it is a “GOOD GIFT” for you- So RESIGN yourself to His wisdom in the matter.
- THE SON OF GOD – Who Has Spoken To Us. The Book Of Matthew Reveals Him As KING- Sovereign, over All! Sovereign over Creation, satan, sickness, death, sin, salvation, every situation, the grave! Listen To Him.
- THE GLORY OF GOD – is ultimately the goal of prayer. His Fame , His Kingdom coming in the matter. His desire and design we pray and so we do to honor Him. So we pray to that end ( Read John 15: 7-8)
HE …LOVES…YOU…is MOTIVATION to keep on praying. He gave His life for you. Paul said, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”- {Gal 2:20}. How do you know He loves you? The cross! He gave Himself up for you! Motivated by His Person. His character.
* MEDITATE on The CHARACTERISTICS of God mentioned above and
* SPEAK THE TRUTH TO YOURSELF…to encourage yourself…
* PRAISE Him as you incorporate the above 7 elements into your prayers and seek to…
* SHARE WITH OTHERS to encourage them
Persevere Trusting the One who Loves you!