I've talked a lot about our need for willingness over the years, but it seems that, I need to be convinced of God's willingness. The scripture that BP Bill shared from Lu 11 is about prayer. Ask... Seek... Knock... and keep on doing those things, and the answer will come from God's hand.
The illustration of a loving father is just the one that we need to have in mind all the time. If you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more our Father in Heaven?
I know I have always struggled with the Imago Dei, the image of God that I have from my upbringing. I think many of us have faulty images of God and His nature.
It's interesting to me that the last thought, the last verses of the Old Convent in Malachi are on this very issue. The relationship between children and fathers, and the promise of having hearts that are turned towards each other. Seems like maybe it's a prerequisite for what is going to happen in the New Covenant!
And the model for prayer that Jesus taught starts with the words. OUR FATHER! Jesus came to reveal the heart of the Father and to restore the relationship we can have with OUR FATHER. God himself was "in Christ reconciling the world to himself". For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His One and Only Son! That's love, beyond our wildest imaginings!
Paul goes on later in Romans 8 and asks us to think it through with him:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:31-32 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/
Friends, the point this morning is God loves us... God loves you and wants you to have Every Good Gift that He has. So often the problem isn't on His side of the equation, but on ours - on the receiving end!
So we're back at Lu 11. Prayer... persistent prayer... Jesus tells us, is a key to receiving all that God has for us. And let me tell you ALL is a lot!
And It's all ours if we just ask Him.
Isn't it funny that when you break down the letters they spell A - S - K Ask...Seek...Knock.
Just Ask! And the tense of those verbs Jesus used indicate an ... here's a great word... IMPORTUNITY!
Webster says that that is TROUBLESOMELY URGENT!
Ask and keep on asking...
Seek and keep on seeking...
Knock and keep on knocking!
TROUBLESOMELY URGENT
Have you asked like that?
There is a hint of... well, more than a hint... of desperation. Perhaps desperate prayer is in order in these days. Our days are suddenly seeming TROUBLESOMELY URGENT!
I'd like to spend a minute or two just asking.
Will you join me?
Lord Jesus, you are the baptiser in the Holy Spirit. Now we're looking to you, Lord, as our baptiser! I pray, Jesus, for the outpouring that we have been asking, seeking and knocking for in each of our own lives and in the life of our church, our city, our state and especially now, our nation. Send your Spirit like a mighty wind, the Ruach ha Kodesh, and blow on us Jesus.
You have told us to return to You, our God. In humility and brokenness we come and we turn from wickedness on behalf of our nation. We bind the twisting of truth, the lies of the enemy of our souls. We pray for eyes to open suddenly, to see You Jesus, High and lifted up. Let your train fill the Temple this morning, come fill and cleanse us Fire of God and send us as your agents of reconciliation into the world.
We're asking Lord
We're seeking
We're knocking.
In the name of Jesus the Messiah.
For the sake of His Kingdom.
Amen. Amen!
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