Pastor Dan Has Moved

In 2009 plans began to plant a new church called Stone's Throw Church. Please feel free to check out content on www.stonesthrowchurch.org. This blog is not being updated any longer. Pastor Dan is lead pastor of Stone's Throw Church. We welcome you to check out all of our free online audio and video as well as articles and blogs.

Cussing and Jesus

God and Suicide

Prayer: It's Simple Really

I have come across some thoughts that I wanted to share with my friends as I study for this weeks message on prayer. I was led to the passage of Luke 11 where Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. As he finishes up he says:

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Jesus has given us the words and structure to pray in the Lord's prayer but then offers us the modes of prayer. Space limits me from expanding too much on this point but think about the actions Jesus uses to describe prayer, "Ask, Seek, Knock." Each one of us has at one point in life been so moved to desperation that what we once asked for we took on ourselves to seek after and finally pounded down a few doors to get to it.

Let me see if I can offer an example. My children love to play in our basement. We have metal doors which lock from the inside. One of my nightmares is that a fire could start in the basement and trap my children while they are playing. To prepare for such a day I run fire drills with my kids for fun. I have demonstrated to my oldest how she can unlock the bilco doors should such an emergency arise. But let's say that a fire does begin to fill our basement. I would first call for my kids to see if they could hear me. Upon hearing their voice I would find a way into the basement to save their lives. If the passage is blocked from inside the house I would run to the outside and begin pounding on the doors so that my oldest would be reminded that the doors are the way out. Ask, seek, knock. In fact, I have a plan that if my daughter were not able to get the doors open, I would tear them off with my Jeep and a few chains. Regardless, I am getting into that room to save my children.

Ask, seek and knock demonstrate for us the modes and moods of prayer. However, these descriptions from our Lord our exceedingly simple. Jesus is telling us that anyone can pray! You don't need to be a theologian or scholar to approach God in prayer.

Asking: There is no one, not even an infant who cannot ask. We don't even need words to ask! You don't need fine words to speak with God. Our Father does not delight in fine words but rather a contrite heart! I always find it funny how we try to describe things to our Father in heaven with imagery and beauty as if he doesn't already know. When someone is asking you for something you are more likely to respond to them if they are simple, honest and forthright.

Seeking: Here the prayer becomes even more desperate and passionate. Think about the fire example. If you hear that your loved one is in trouble you begin to seek a way to help them. Your heart begins to race and you become more passionate about the situation. Seeking is also just as simple as asking. Anybody can seek. Children play hide and seek as one of their first games in life.

Knocking: Anyone can knock. Here the passion of prayer becomes even more pressing. Asking and seeking didn't settle the matter! Am I willing to wrestle with God as Jacob wrestled? Am I willing to come away with a limp or even worse?

Now it is Jesus, the Lord, our Creator, who sits at the right hand of God the Father, who is indeed fully God and fully man, that promises us that if we should ask, seek and knock, these things shall be given unto us. Of course there are limitations. Should we ask God for things that are not agreeable to his will they should not be granted. My daughter prays for a kitten and yet she is very unlikely to receive one unless she should find a new father or some kind of kitten regenerating work happens in his heart. But all good things that are in the Father's will shall definitely be given unto us. This is to be our prayer in the first place--Thy will be done.

I write all this and desire to share it with you because I believe there are those who want to pray and yet do not think they are spiritual enough or righteous enough or knowledgeable enough to do so. I think the question should be, "Are you simple enough to pray?" Anyone can ask, seek, and knock. Will you?

PD

Praying for Assurance

Why Pray for the Lost?