Need to Pray
Jesus taught (Matthew 7:7-12) His disciples to seek God’s help: be persistent in prayer; be confident in expecting; be purposeful in serving. Every Christian who desires to serve needs to be about prayer. Failure to
pray is failure to persist, stopping short of finding doors of service, and missing life’s purpose. First, be a prayerful Christian—“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (vv. 7-8) Ask, Seek, Knock … the New Living Translation has it right: keep on asking—keep on seeking—keep on knocking. Pray but take a look at the context of verses 1-6. The motive for prayer is for your service. Jesus wants His disciples to go beyond self into service for His Kingdom. Those who keep asking, do receive. Those who keep seeking, do find. Those who keep knocking, do have doors opened to them. Second, be a confident and trusting Christian—“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (v. 11) Expect a positive answer from God. Remember two things: (a) God will hear and answer His children’s prayers; and (b) God will answer them with what is best for them. God has our best interest in His plans. Third, be a purposeful Christian, V. 12. this verse is known as “The Golden Rule”—“Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” Negative versions of this concept existed, i.e. Rabbi Hillel taught “What is hateful to you, don’t do to someone else.” Jesus made it positive! He demonstrated love to us through redemption; we demonstrate love to others. God’s purpose is carried out as His grace touches people through our lives. The golden rule means that you treat people the way you want to be treated, regardless of how they have treated you before or in return.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.