30 Days of Thankfulness-Day 9
“Devote, yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2
Beloved, how do you devote yourselves to prayer?
One way is to do what this verse says:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7: 7-8.
Many of you know that I attend Bible Study Fellowship; BSF is a four-fold approach to study God’s word. In the notes for Matthew 7:7-12, the title is to Pray Passionately. Have you been known to pray passionately? In the above verses, Jesus used three verbs to describe prayer. What are the verbs? Ask, Seek, and Knock. Quite honestly, I always thought of Jesus knocking, perhaps because of the painting of Jesus’ knocking on a door.
So, this was new for me. But, as the notes reflect, each word expresses persistence and sincerity in prayer.
Beloved, we are to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Then, when we pray in faith, we will receive answers from God and see Him opening doors. “Prayer is an amazing privilege offered to God’s children,” BSF notes Lesson 8, page 86.
How are you doing in persistent prayer? Do you have a list of people you are praying for that need Jesus as their savior? What about those that have a particular condition or need healing or a steady job?
Jesus directs us to pray boldly.
Let’s thank God for answered prayer.
Father God, In Your wisdom, You answer our prayers, You give us things we don’t ask for and things we do ask for, sometimes the answer is no because it is not what is best for us, we trust You and do not lean on our understanding but seek You. Therefore, help us to pray passionately in Jesus’s name. Amen
Be sure and pick either verse and write it out.
What are you thanking God for today? I am thanking God for you.
