Thursday, April 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019

 

 

“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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9,10)

 

 

In this passage, Jesus highlights the value of persistent prayer and how God answers His children.  These famous verses indicate that God willingly responds, to our great comfort and support.  As Jesus note at the end of the passage, the Presence of the Holy Spirit stands high among the list of God’s treasures distributed through prayer.

 

Several other Scripture passages highlight the context in which we may receive the fullness of these promises:

 

1. In John 15:4-8, Jesus fleshes our relationship with Him as the True Vine:  “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”  We read here that, by remaining connected to Christ and embracing His Word, we will receive God’s blessing so that we may bear much fruit.

 

2. 1 John 5:14,15 indicates that our attitude and purpose in prayer does matter:  “This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him.”  We receive confidence in approaching God because He is faithful and personal!

 

3. God has called the Church to witness to His glory and demonstrate His character here on earth.  In Acts 4:23-31, the early disciples trusted God wholeheartedly and prayed for God’s blessing on their fledgling efforts.  God responded with a powerful manifestation of His Spirit:  “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

 

 

Lord God, our country and city are in desperate need of Your Presence today.  Please help us to stay rooted in Your Son, the True Vine.  Send Your Holy Spirit that we might imitate Your character.  Help us to make disciples of all nations and to bring reconciliation among others.  We love You and serve You today.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

 

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