PRAYING LIKE JESUS DAY 14
MY LIFE AND MY NEEDS
“Our prayers must mean something to us if they are to mean anything to God.” ― Steve Brown
Do you ask God for what you need for your life? When Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, he showed us that we can ask for his help in three areas: his provision for our physical needs, for his forgiveness for our mistakes, and for his help to avoid temptations.
“Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:11-13, NIV).
We can come right out and ask when we need financial provision, emotional support, relationships, or opportunities. Jesus was so direct and clear when he taught us how we can approach God.
“Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open.
Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in” (Luke 11: 9-13, MSG).
This active approach of asking, seeking, and knocking is done with confidence. A confidence built on who we are in Christ.
Ask! We can’t lazily sit back with a “God knows what I need so I don’t need to ask” attitude. He is intimately woven into every part of our lives, and he desires that we know this. We ask God to meet our needs so that we will not be anxious about our needs being met (Luke 12:22).
Seek! Seek the Kingdom of God first. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). This is our opportunity to give God the microphone and allow Him to lead us. Because God is a provider and rewards those who seek him, He desires to meet our needs. However, God can meet your needs in ways you least expect. It’s a wonderful trade off; you seek God’s way of life and living, and in turn, you find how thoughtful He is to meet your needs.
Knock! What if you were locked out of your own house but someone was at home? How would you knock? I would knock loudly and confidently. The person inside would have no doubt that I have the right to be inside and need the door opened! On the contrary, what if you had to knock on an unfamiliar door of a friend you visited for the first time? I may think to myself, “Is this the right address? The right door?” I might knock with hesitancy and uncertainty, more like a light, suggestive tap. How are you knocking at Heaven's door? Jesus expresses we can knock with “shameless audacity” (Luke 11:8). When it comes to our needs, we can ask God boldly and confidently, knowing he is ready and able to meet them. He is also ready to give us the things we really need for a Kingdom life; righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Questions for contemplation
- If God is in control and He knows my needs, why ask?
- How do I approach God with my needs?
- What can God provide that no other person or thing can?
PRAYER POINTS
- Ask God for what you need for this day
- Receive righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
- Know God is ready and able to meet your daily needs