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Friends in Christ Weekly Message
July 27, 2001
So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.
Luke 11:9-10 (CEV*)
To those of us with many years of experience in the Christian community, this is a very familiar promise. But sometimes we have trouble understanding the sweeping nature of the promise in light of our experience of petitioning God for things that don't seem to happen.
The context of this teaching of Jesus is right after Jesus tells a story to illustrate the value of asking persistently and at what seem like inopportune moments. In that context, especially since the language of the text indicates this passage is the moral of the story, it would seem to be about persistently asking, searching and knocking.
In another story, Jesus refers to "his chosen ones who pray to him day and night" (Luke 18:7). If we truly have faith, we will not turn to God only in times of crisis but will seek God constantly. Our yearning is to experience Christ's presence all the time, and we will want to be in continual communication with Him.
It seems to me that Jesus is talking about more than an occasional moment of petition to God. Jesus is talking about an attitude of prayer that permeates all of our lives. If we approach God in this way, we are assured that we will receive the ultimate desire of our hearts. We will be filled with God's love and God's peace. We will be strengthened and joyful.
May we each seek God day in and day out. May we be in prayer day and night, sharing all our concerns with God and listening to His still, small voice. May we live lives of faithfulness and thanksgiving, trusting in God's promises.
Bill Samuel
* Contemporary English Version ©1995 American Bible Society.
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