Ian Barclay's Thought For The Day

A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
A little sermon on prayer
Reading: Matthew 7:7-8 Click to view passage

The connection between this little sermon on prayer and what has gone before is not immediately obvious. Jesus has been talking about the dangers of a critical spirit and the need to recognise men who could possibly be “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” It is prayer, that will give us the wisdom we need in this delicate and sensitive area. We must, “Ask…seek…knock.” Three things need to be noticed here. (i) The verb is an imperative, so we have a command from Jesus. (ii) The tense of the verbs is the present continuous. We are to, “Ask and keep on asking….to seek and keep on seeking…knock and keep on knocking.” (iii) There is also an ascending intensity. To “ask” is a simple request. To “seek” goes a step further and implies some sort of participation and finally “knocking” brings an element of importunity and persistence.

Meditation: Can I use the time given me today in queuing, waiting at red lights and walking between jobs to be more importunate and persistent in my praying?
Prayer pointer: In the areas where I need wisdom Father, help me to, “Ask, seek and knock.”




Matthew: 34