Thursday, May 17, 2007

Persistence

My friend Zack has a son named Drew. Drew and my daughter Emma are play buddies (don't read into this, she is much too young to have a boyfriend, and even though I monitor the boy's interactions with my daughter closely, this Drew kid does worry me a bit ;o)).
Anyway, the other day Zack and I decided to take our kids to the hospital to visit a new baby that had been born in the church and then take them to play at a local playground. As soon as Drew was strapped in the car he began asking, "Drink, Daddy? Drink Daddy?" Over and over and over again. I could see Zack (who isn't known for his patience) getting frustrated until he finally answered Drew, telling him that he would get him his drink when we stopped. I can't remember if Drew stopped asking for his drink at that moment or not, but Drew's persistence in this matter got me to thinking. Then yesterday, I came across this.

Matthew 7:7-9

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.

Now I just copied that text from the NIV version of the Bible, and although I really love this translation for its great readability, the NIV leaves a very subtle nuance out of this verse that may help us understand what Jesus is asking us to do here. Let me show you the same verse from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Keep asking, and it will be given to you, keep searching, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, everyone who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Greek 101: The verbs, ask, seek, and knock are present active imperatives. They carry with it the notion of a continual action, i.e. "make it your habit to ask," or "keep asking."

God wants us to ask him for the desires of our heart, and don't miss this, he wants us to keep asking for them... again, and again, and again.

To illustrate this point even further let me point you to a parable that Jesus told in

Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

I think all too often we find ourselves going to God in prayer with the desires of our heart and asking him to deliver us, or to help us, or to grant us justice against our adversary, and then, perhaps because we don't think enough of God, or perhaps because our idea of God is too small, we stop asking. Maybe it is because we don't think he will do it. Maybe it is because we think he can't do it. Maybe we feel like we are testing God. You're not. God welcomes those who cry out to him day and night, a nd God honors prayers that ask of him more than we can ever imagine. Be persistent in your prayers; let him know the desires of your heart. Ask him for deliverance, and keep asking him until he answers you.

So my little friend Drew seems to have it all figured out. Ask, and keep asking, pretty soon, you're bound to get an answer.

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