Luke 11:5-13 (NLT)
Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Explanation:
God always answers prayer.
~Always~
✔️ Yes ✔️ No ✔️ Wait
Some things we pray about are answered in an hour.
Other answers to prayer require a process, because the answer depends on something so deep, it will transform us.
When Luke admonishes us to pray an importunity prayer that requires asking, seeking, and knocking, we can bet it’s for something bigger than a good parking spot.
As a teen, I was keenly aware there was a family trait I longed not to have. In my adult years, I realized it takes more than “just a want” to change a pattern. I needed something outside of myself to alter what had essentially been placed in my emotional DNA in my formative years. I began to pray. I asked the Lord to help me not be “that.” As I journeyed on in my young adult years, I continued to ask, and then I started seeking. I scoured the Bible, committed verses to memory, read topical books, listened to teaching, took notes, and studied the lives of people who seemed to model my hopes. Over the many years of my life, the process of asking and seeking became knocking.
I became more persistent in my desire to overcome. There is something good about desperation, because it will motivate you to lean into the pain. God led me to skilled counselors, wise friends, and many other layers of healthy influence.
Just like an onion, with the Holy Spirit’s help, I peeled the layers…repeating the asking, seeking, and knocking sequence at every setback. It has taken effort and surrender to break that bend, but with God’s help, the process worked. I’m confident I was the generation to change that for my sons, but it’s a testimony instead of a statistic only because of God leading me through those developing steps. Yes, He could have zapped it right out of me on the first ask, but I am forever grateful the Holy Spirit led me into truth the rich way.
Along the journey of fighting “that,” I learned so much about God’s power in all the little dark corners of my broken heart. His loving excavation process drew me close to Him.
I am forever changed by His precious leading.
In the asking, I absorbed His viewpoint. In the seeking, He taught me new skills. In the knocking, I gained power!
He is so faithful.
Application:
It is not uncommon for someone to make a joyful announcement, followed by, “God answered my prayer!” What could be flawed in that understanding?
Unlearning patterns is a miracle that requires the power of God. Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to help you unlearn something? He will.
Prayer:
Remind us Lord…
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Teach me, Lord, to wait. Amen.