Matthew 7 has a couple of the more abused texts of Scripture. First is the infamous, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." Instead of being properly interpreted as an admonition to avoid being self-righteous and condemning toward others, it is used to nullify standards of any kind. We cannot call anything sin, they say, because "Judge not."
Another mistreated and abused passage is Matthew 7:7-8. The “health and wealth” merchants use it to promise us that God is a heavenly vending machine. Pop in a prayer, work up enough faith and you can have anything you want. "Ask and you will receive." Your wildest dreams can be yours if only you ask and believe.
We reject this false, self-centered vision of prayer. But too often, we throw out the baby with the bathwater. The misinterpretation of these passages and their abuse by false teachers causes us to shy away from their clear and radical teachings.
Another mistreated and abused passage is Matthew 7:7-8. The “health and wealth” merchants use it to promise us that God is a heavenly vending machine. Pop in a prayer, work up enough faith and you can have anything you want. "Ask and you will receive." Your wildest dreams can be yours if only you ask and believe.
We reject this false, self-centered vision of prayer. But too often, we throw out the baby with the bathwater. The misinterpretation of these passages and their abuse by false teachers causes us to shy away from their clear and radical teachings.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”It is a simple message. God answers prayers. If other biblical conditions on prayer are met (and there are several throughout scripture) God is inclined to answer our prayers. He is a good God, who can do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. When we ask, he gives. When we seek, he is found. When we knock, the door is opened.
We ought never be petulant, spoiled children, demanding our desires from God. But neither should we be reluctant to ask big things from him. Our prayers ought to be limited only by the power of God, and there is no limit there.
Do you pray audacious prayers, asking God to do that which only he can do? Do you ask him to save and transform and provide and protect?
I am put in mind of the haunting scripture in James 4. "You have not because you ask not." We serve a big and amazing God, but we pray like he is distant, weak, and unconcerned. This passage goes on to make it clear that God cares and that he desires to respond to our prayers.
Pray in faith. Pray audaciously. Pray aggressively. Pray bold, brave, risky, daring prayers, because we have a God who cares and hears and responds. God is not the ATM in the sky who is controlled by our prayers, but when we ask him, we receive. When we seek, we find. When we knock, the door is answered.
May our prayers in 2014 be bigger than ever before! Our God is big enough to handle our prayers!
Lord, my faith is weak, but your power is not. I ask you for big things this year. Save souls as only you can do. Change hearts and lives. Heal marriages. Heal the sick. Battle the evil in our world. We ask you to display your amazing power and grace among us!
It strikes me that Abraham is recognized as God's own by the lost people around him. Abimelexh, Phistine Leader said "God is with you in all that you do" and the Hittities say "you are a Prince if Gid among us". Gives me pause to think "Do lost people see me as God's person?"
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