Rod & Rose

I sometimes wonder why it’s necessary for us to pray. I wonder why we need to “make our requests known” to our loving, all-knowing and all-powerful heavenly Father. If he’s aware of every hair on our heads, surely he’s also aware of every need in our hearts. I’m convinced we cannot “surprise” him with our requests; he knows what we need before we utter the words.

A couple of days ago, while I was flying from Baltimore back home to Albuquerque, I read a little book by Charles Spurgeon called “The Power in Prayer.” I read in this jam-packed little book that our heavenly Father attends to the needs of the ravens without them asking for sustenance. He clothes flowers with splendor, without them ever uttering a word.

So why is it necessary for us – the crown of his creation – to remind him of things he already knows?

Because Jesus told us to. He told us to ask. And he told us to seek, and to knock.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’ ~Matthew 7.7, New International Version

Okay, so now that we’ve done these thing, what now?

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” ~Matthew 7.7, New Living Translation

We sometimes lose the full impact of Scripture because of the limitations of our English language. When Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock, he was not making a suggestion. He was not simply “inviting” us to pray. His words are a command. In the Greek language, a command is an imperative.

And Jesus did not say that praying is a “once and done” activity. The words ask, seek and knock are in the present tense. That means we are commanded to pray this way as an ongoing, continual activity. In other words: Always be asking! Always be seeking! Always be knocking!

Praying can become as natural to us a breathing.

So why do we pray. Because Jesus told us to. And from my perspective, the reason he told us to pray continually – and in a persistent way – is to remind us of our utter dependency on him. We tend to forget that every breath we take is a gift from God. Every beat of our heart is a gift.

Now when I’m driving in my truck, talking with God about whatever comes to my mind, I’ve begun to “knock” as I talk. Sure, it’s probably a little crazy, but it reminds me why I’m praying. I’m praying because Jesus told me to.

And I’m noticing that something within me changes, in a peaceful kind of way, when I’m obedient to my Lord.