A.S.K.

Last week, we went to Tennessee to see 3 of our grandchildren. Zion, the cutie-pie circled in the pic below, is 4 years old and obsessed with Magna-tiles. He is also obsessed with asking people to play with him. He said “Lulu, play with me” a gazillion times.

Admittedly, I didn’t want to get down in the floor on my creaky old knees every time he asked to play with the Magna-tiles (or dinosaurs or cars), but I always ended up doing it because of his persistence and I absolutely cannot resist his blue-eyes. He’s my grandson, so it was truly my joy to do it.

So tonight, I flopped my Bible open to do some reading. This is not my regular practice. I do try to be somewhat systematic in my study, but I was tired and was ready to fall into my bed. It flopped open to Luke 11 to the words of Jesus as He was talking to His disciples about prayer.

Jesus told them a story about a man who went to his neighbor’s house and asked to borrow some food for unexpected visitors. But the neighbor and his whole family had already gone to bed and told him to go away. The man was persistent in his request, and the neighbor finally got up and gave him some food – not because they were friends – but because the man KEPT asking and knocking! (see Luke 11:5-8). His persistence paid off.

Does God get irritated or tired of us when we ask for what we need? No. Sometimes His delayed response is for our own good. When He does answer, God will “give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8). Also, this example is from an imperfect earthly neighbor. God is our perfect Heavenly Father and gives good things at just the right time.

Then Jesus said this about prayer:

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.  Luke 11:9-10

Do you see it? Ask. Seek. Knock. ASK. I have never noticed the beginning of each verb spells out ASK.

So my flopped open Bible and my persistent grandson have taught me a few things this evening. Persistence in prayer works. Jesus invites us to pray and He takes joy in providing what we need, with the presumption it is in God’s will and not asked with selfish motives.

Honestly, there are some things I have been praying about that I’ve almost given up on. Tonight, I am encouraged to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.

What do you need to carry back to Jesus in prayer? Be persistent. Ask for what you need. Seek God’s guidance. Knock until you get an answer. A.S.K.