Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the next window of said temple, namely divine benevolence.
Indeed, the Lord God has always watched over his Word and his love for the world, and his Messenger our Savior teaches it in Matt 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. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Let’s note first of all that asking, seeking and knocking are three degrees of progression in the holy action of prayer, when God doesn’t answer it from the start. These terms mark its persistence and increasing intensity. And we read in Philippians 4.6: “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
In fact, what must support the child of God in his ever more ardent supplications is first of all the triple promise that the Lord Jesus adds to his exhortation by articulating that he who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and we open to him who knocks; it is then the thought that he addresses his Father for all the requests which are formulated to him by humans and which clearly show that he is in the Father and the Father in him. For the Savior knows that the Father is good for him, and therefore also for his creatures.
This is why as children of God, even in the most unfavorable conditions, and pressed by our needs, we are not afraid to insistently annoy a man whom we know is not generous, why would we not do even to God our Heavenly Father who, in his infinite mercy, is always ready to grant us far beyond all our prayers. He knows what is good for us, and the confidence that such a request will not be in vain has already been clarified in his exhortation. The compilation of the verses below will edify you on this important subject.
I. THE NEED FOR A LIFE SUPPORTED BY PRAYER AND CONFIDENCE IN GOD
* The importance of prayer: Mat 26.41 :“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
-it is commanded: Luke 1.18 “Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” ; John 16.24 “ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”; Eph 6.18 “ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”; 1 Thes 5.17 “pray continually.”
-the promises to answer the prayer: Psa 91.15 “ He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. ”; Isa 58.9 “ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,”; Isa 65.24 “ Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”; John 15.7 “ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
* Exhortation to prayer: Matt 21.22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 1 Kings 3.5 “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”; John 14.13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”; James 1.5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
* Examples of opportunity in prayer
-Abraham: Gen 18.32 “ Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
-Jacob: Gen 32.26 “ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
-Moses: Deut 9.18 “ Then once again I fell prostrate before the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the LORD’s sight and so arousing his anger.”
– the Canaanite woman: Matt 15.27 ” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.”
-Jesus: Luke 22.44 “ And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
-the royal officer of Capernaum: John 4.49 ” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
-the primitive Church: Acts 12.5 “ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
-Elie: James 5.17 “ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”
* Exhortation to prayer: Matt 21.22 “Whatever you ask in faith through prayer, you will receive.” Zac 10.1 “Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.” 1 John 5.14: “ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
* The duty to seek God: Luke 11.10 “For whoever asks receives, he who seeks finds, and one opens to him who knocks.” Psa 105.4 “Have recourse to the Lord and his support, Seek continually his face! “
II. ANSWERS TO PRAYER
* The divine promises to those who seek God: 2 Ch 7.14 “ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”; Pro 8.17 “I love those who love me, And those who seek me find me.”
* Examples of fatherly love:
-Jacob: Gen 37.35 “ All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.”
-David: 2 Sam 12.16 “David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.”
-Jairus: Mark 5.23 “and addressed this instant prayer to her: My little girl is at the end, come, lay her hands on her, so that she will be saved and that she will live.”
-the father of the prodigal son: Luke 15.20 “And he arose, and went to his father. As he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, he ran to throw himself on his neck and kissed him. ”
* the bread: Psa 104.15 “wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.”
* snakes: Psa 58.4 “ Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,”; Luke 3.7 ” Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,”
The Lord Jesus, to convince us of the effectiveness of prayer, bases its assurance on the love of a father for his child. Because a father will not give his child a useless stone or a dangerous snake, which would be a cruel attitude and an act against nature.
How much less your Father! for he is love and gives only goods, or good things, while men are bad, even in their natural affections, always tainted with selfishness, and being able to harm unwittingly those whom they love, gives him only goods.
* The gifts of God: Psa 127.2 “ In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
– let’s give parents: 1 Sam 2.19 “ Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”
-paternity of God: Matt 6.9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”
-the universality of sin: Rom 3.23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”
* Providence gives:
-examples of abundant provisions in times of deficiency: Matt 14.20 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
– bestowal of the promised Holy Spirit: Luke 11.13 “If therefore, wicked as you are, you know how to give good things to your children, how much more will Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. ”
-the promised greeting: John 3.16 ” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 4:10 “Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Rom 8.32 ” 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?”
From the foregoing, we note that to ask, to seek and to strike, are the three degrees of a progression in the holy action of prayer, when God does not hear it from the beginning, and that there are various forms of manifestation of divine benevolence. Therefore, in His infinite mercy, the Lord Almighty God is always ready to grant us well beyond all our prayers. So whatever you ask in faith by prayer, you will receive it. It is the meaning of our prayers that we do to support your efforts.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows :
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to respond to your queries and comments as necessary, before sharing with you next week on the next window of the temple of truth, namely the golden rule.
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord Almighty.