Lent-Day 23
Lent 2010: A Season for Listening
3/15/10 – Day 23
Listening to The Teachings of Jesus: Part 12
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” -Luke 11:9-10
What more can we say about this teaching? Is there some hidden meaning that we can tease out or some unseen message hidden between the lines? Looking at the context in which these words are found quickly rules out any threat of deceit of trickery on the part of God in response to our prayers. So why do we have such difficulty in asking, searching, and knocking in the form of persistent prayers? Speaking from only my own observations I will hazard a few guesses as to why this has become a difficult text to approach and claim in our own prayer lives.
Firstly, we may have lost a clear distinction between needs and wants. If you ever wanted an example of how wealthy and privileged we truly are, this might be it! As I sit here trying to think of my needs I can come up with many things that are not truly necessities. My family will sleep warm and dry tonight with full stomachs. I am not in any immediate peril or distress. I have no worries that are not of my own creating or rousing. It might be that what I need is guidance and instruction on my own needs.
Secondly, we may have become apathetic and lazy with regard to our relationship with God. To be persistent requires energy, passion, and an overwhelming sense of urgency. How often do I actually feel strongly enough about anything to pester, argue, and haggle with God about it? Not very often. It seems I tend more toward a shotgun approach with prayer. I load up laundry list of requests and demands and shoot blindly from the hip hoping that something will hit the target. Hit or miss I am unlikely to notice, as the prayers are usually no more out of my lips than I am distracted and focused on something else. Let’s be honest, I don’t want to have to work for anything. Like an infant, I want God to hear my undefined grunts, squeals, and cries and determine what it is that I want or need and give it to me, immediately!
Lastly, we may have come to see God as being too much like ourselves. What does it say about our integrity and character when we see God’s assertions of goodness and transparency as flashing neon signs warning of danger? Over the years I have learned not to trust non-trusting people, because we too often project our junk on to others and read our motives into their actions. How wonderful it is that God is not like us. God is not weak and insecure. God does not have to lie or trick or manipulate us to gain an advantage. God is pure being and is able to simply be what God is (remember that I AM what I AM stuff?). So whatever God might be there are two things I am sure of: God is not like me; and God is always good.
Today we will unashamedly approach the Throne of Grace with the wisdom of Solomon.
We will pray asking God to teach us what to ask for and we will allow the Holy Spirit to make our prayers complete and good. Today we will ask, search, and knock for God’s wisdom in our lives. – Rev. John Mattox
Let us pray,
Our Lord,
Your extravagant love overwhelms us.
Thank you for knowing just what we need
even though, sometimes we don’t even know what that is.
Help us to seek your will,
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
for your glory. Amen.
-Rev. Katie Mattox
