Ask, Seek, Knock, or Don't Worry be Happy

In Matthew chapter 7:7-12,  Jesus teaches us about effective prayer.  He says: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the do will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." 

Praying effectively is one thing that I desperately want to do.  I don't want to be like the people Jesus describes in Chapter six who mindlessly repeat their words thinking that bombarding God, with repeated requests will somehow change His mind.  I just want to be able to take my requests to God, and know that he has heard them and that is good enough for me.   I am having a hard time, this week, doing this.  

I know that Pastors usually should be able to pray and know how to pray, and I do.  I love my prayer life with God and my relationship with Him.  It is just that I have this one issue that seems to be weighing heavily on my heart.  This one issue that has started to keep me up at night as I go over all of the things that will go wrong if this issue is not resolved.  I feel pressed and I am having a hard time doing what he tells us in chapter 6 vs 25, "I tell you do not worry".  

A few weeks ago I preached that these times of pressing can either be a cause for us to fall away from God, and choose to reject Him and His message; or it can be a time of drawing us closer to God.  So today I am choosing to practice what I preach.  I want this issue in my life to draw me closer to God, I want to pray effectively for this issue but more importantly I want to seek Him and find Him.   I want to know Him better through this time, I want to find His peace, I want to seek His face and His will for this issue in my life.   I want to not worry and be happy in Him.  

My prayer for you is that you would echo these thoughts.  I know God loves us and that he works all things together, for our good, if we love Him.  So let us love Him with all of our hearts, in the midst of the storm.  Let the wind blow and the waves roll, Jesus is piloting my ship, and with Him at the wheel, I will not sink, no matter how many holes my boat may have!  

Thank you Jesus for loving us and hearing our prayers.  You know what we need even before we ask.  Have you way in our hearts, in our lives, in our issues and in all!