BEFORE WE ASK
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!”
Matthew 6:7-8 (NLT)
When one of my children comes to me to ask for something, it makes my heart so glad. They’re oftentimes quite stubborn and independent… I have no idea where they got that from. They’ll try and fail and try and fail and try and fail and then get frustrated. But when they finally come and say, Daddy, can you please help me with this? I am overcome with joy. I like to think that I am a good father, and I love to meet my children's needs.
How much better of a Father is God? Infinitely! Before we even ask, He knows exactly what we need. He knows even better than we do. He longs for us to simply come to Him and ask. And yet, we’re often stubborn and independent in our thinking. How silly of us to deprive ourselves of the grace of our good Father.
Unfortunately, when we finally come to God to ask for His intervention, we may feel like we have to jump through some kind of religious hoops. Jesus makes reference in the above passages to people who thought their prayers would be answered simply by saying the right things in the right way over and over again. Prayer isn’t some kind of incantation that, when said properly, unlocks the power of God. This is an erroneous, man-made religious hoop to jump through. God bids us to simply come to Him.
Consider the words of the famous hymn Just As I Am:
Just as I am, thou wilt receive.
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve: Because Thy promise, I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
It’s old English, I’ll grant you (this hymn was first penned in 1835), but the message is an apt one. We need only come to God, just as we are, and He will meet us in that moment.
APPLICATION:
What’s preventing you from coming to God? He already knows exactly what you need, even better than you do. Consider what obstacles stand in your way, and then ask the Father to help you overcome them.
PRAYER:
God, help me to come to You simply, humbly and expectantly. You love to meet my needs—help me to believe that. Grow my faith in Your sovereignty and goodness. Grant me the wisdom and discernment to tear down any obstacle that would prevent me from coming to You, just as I am. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?