“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
-Luke 11:10
Prayer may be the easiest thing to do in the Christian life, yet too many forget its power. We pray because God is sovereign. We ask because God is the giver of all good gifts and we pray because He loves us. One thing that’s interesting is that Jesus instructs his disciples to pray exactly opposite of how we are tempted to pray.
Jesus compares prayer to waking up a friend in the middle of the night asking for help. The friend says no, it’s late, my kids are asleep so I can’t help you. Jesus says just keep on knocking. Jesus points to the persistence and then he points us to results and says the two are not unrelated.
Jesus is teaching us how to pray. He even says that we should continue to pound the door of heaven with our prayers expecting an answer. One thing that’s absolutely true, is that God never rebukes His people for asking for too much. Pause.
Fathers, how do you feel when your child brings their biggest problems to you. You rejoice because this shows they love and trust you. How much does our heavenly Father rejoice when His children come to Him in great faith in prayer?
This doesn’t mean that God answers every prayer. What father gives his child everything they want. That wouldn’t be a loving thing to do.
God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn in his flesh, but that shouldn’t stop us from expecting him to answer our prayers. Think about the countless prayers God did answer for Paul. All the times his life was spared. All the times God provided for him. You shouldn’t assume it was without prayer.
What usually gets in the way of our thinking is God’s secret will. It’s the will of God that will come to pass no matter what. It’s the course of history we are living, so we are often tempted to follow our prayers with, if it be your will, then please Lord do this or do that. I don’t think anything is wrong with this. Jesus did this before the cross. He says, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” This was a special time, Jesus was about to receive the bitter cup of sin’s wrath for us and you better believe He knew what He came to do.
But the overwhelming pattern in scripture is set fourth. Hannah prays,” Lord, please give me a child.” And God gives her Samuel. 1 Samuel 1.
The disciples prayed,” Lord, please put your hand on the deaf and dumb man so that he can be healed.” Mark 7 And then Jesus healed him.
Someone did the work of looking at all the prayers in scripture. Even apart from the Psalms, which are full of prayers, “[T]he Bible records no fewer than 650 definite prayers, of which no less than 450 have recorded answers.” that’s almost 70% of answered prayers that we know of. God doesn’t always answer our prayers, but he answers many more prayers than if we did not pray.
So, hear the exhortation. Pray bold prayers. Realize that God’s secret will is above your pay grade and keep on knocking on the door of heaven trusting that your father in heaven wants to be glorified by answering your prayers. Let your request be known by God and trust Him with it. Big prayers honor God, because they display big faith in a good God.
Hear again Jesus words, 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Encourage yourself by what you have already received. Most of you have a spouse that you prayed for, you have child that is sitting next to you. Many sicknesses have come to pass, you have that job that was once just a prayer. If you did not receive what you wanted, God is even answering the prayer to carry you through a path you have not chosen.
Church, remember God loves to show his might and to vindicate his people in the world. Don’t be scared of praying big bold prayers for his glory.