{Day 30}: It’s All In Who You Ask

 

Welcome back to 31 Days!

Yesterday, I could not manage to sit down at my laptop for more than a minute. Because life happened.

We had an emergency with our orphan hosting application. Everything had to stop, because it had to be done that day. But it wasn’t only that it had to be done. As in, me filing out more paperwork.

I had to get a social worker to come out to my house that day, and to complete a report by today. We had someone scheduled for the following week, and had been waiting a couple weeks for that appointment. But suddenly it wasn’t enough, and I had a list of people to call and beg. Or the whole thing would be off…and two little girls would be sitting in their orphanage in Latvia this Christmas instead of enjoying a vacation and family time here.

Do you want to know what I’m the worst at?

Asking people to do things for me. Period.

But the thing I’m getting better at?

Asking my Father in Heaven to do things only He can do. Believing He can make it all work–today–and that He wants to do that for us…and for a couple sweet little girls.

So before I started dialing numbers, I asked God. And then asked my kids to come pray with me, so we could ask God together.

Then I talked with several people who said, I wish I could help you, but there is no way. So I kept asking God, believing He would make this work.

And HE did!!!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

So many times, I’ve prayed lazy or forgetful. But this verse means keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. Persist in prayer.

Some believe ask, seek, and knock apply to different levels of intensity. For instance, sometimes, we only need to ask God for something. Others, we ask, but we also need to seek by doing whatever part we can do. And sometimes, we need to knock at His door with urgency. He values our passion and persistence.

Matthew 6:8 says, …your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Has this line ever left you wondering why we should ask, seek, and knock? I’ve wondered.

I think that prayer is most simply, obedience. But it’s more than that. When we pray, we depend on God. We rely on Him. We trust Him. We align our hearts with His, and learn to care about what He cares about.

Our Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask Him.