Posted by 90 Days of Prayer – Day Twenty-Eight
Receive What You Ask For
Matthew 7:7
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
If you mailed a letter with no address would the person you were writing to receive it? Would you send an email without naming a recipient? Would you go food shopping for nothing in particular? The answer to these questions of course is no, and prayer is no different. We’re instructed to ask specifically for what we want. Ask, seek, and knock in this passage, is in the “present active” tense, which means continuous action; “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.”
Be Persistent
George Muller understood this truth better than most. He lived a lifestyle of persistent asking and receiving for many years. He and his staff lived by praying fervently, receiving provisions for some 2000 orphans over the years in answer to prayer. When asked about the secret to such consistency in receiving answers to prayer, he simply said; “The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it.”
Be Specific
Your prayers should be specific and to the point. You should know exactly what you need before you ask, and expect God to answer your request. Specific requests receive specific answers. In other words, we get exactly what we ask for. Jesus drives home this very point by saying; “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake (Matthew 7:9-10)?
Ask With Confidence
God wants to provide all you need, and all that’s needed is yours for the asking. The more specific your request, the stronger your confidence will be in expecting God to answer. It really is simple; faith begins where the will of God is known, your reason for expecting an answer begins with a specific promise God has already made. John writes that knowing what God promises before we ask assures an answer (1 John 5:14-15). Prayers that are not specific are not answered, because God receives glory in answering prayers (John 15:7-8, 16). He invites you to ask and receive exactly what you need. So, Ask and receive again and again! Be specific Be persistent and Be Encouraged! -JSP