Prayer Meeting. (Ask Seek Knock)

Psalm 46a 1-7(Page 58)

Bing a follower of Jesus in this world is hard! We need dependency on the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Wisdom he to obey Christs Commands from the heart.

Tonight we are going to reflect on Persistence in Prayer. Being a follower of Jesus in this world is hard! We need dependency on the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Wisdom He gives if we are to obey Christs Commands from the heart.

Read

Matthew 7:7–12 NIV

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Ask Seek Knock

All three verbs are imperatives Commands in the Greek. And they are all in the present tense and ongoing. (The NLT brings this out well when it says keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking) Here we have a picture of Persistence?

We are asking God our father for the empowering presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit at work within us so that we persevere and obey Christs commands from our very hearts. We are asking for the Holy spirit to endow us with the wisdom of God

We are asking God our father for the empowering presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit at work within us so that we persevere and obey Christs commands from our very hearts. (that is the issue of the sermon on the mount) We are asking for the Holy spirit to endow us with the wisdom of God to be true disciples.

() How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” We pray for the spirit because the wisdom and understanding The Spirit gives he helps us to live out our identity as children of God and followers of Christ,

James 1:5 NIV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 2:5 ESV

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

James 3:17 NIV

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

So, we are to ask The Father for more of the Holy Spirit so that we can have wisdom and understanding. We are also to Seek.

In the light of Martins passing please be asking God for the empowering of his Holy Spirit for Martins Family, to comfort protect and Guide them at this time.

What are we seeking? We are seeking the wisdom of God to live as a Follower of Christ. In seeking wisdom, we are seeking Jesus, Jesus himself is the very wisdom of God. In the person of Jesus whom we are united to by the Holy Spirit we find all the wisdom we need.

through Jesus because Jesus himself is the very wisdom of God. For in the person of Jesus who is given by the Father mediated to you through the Holy Spirit we find all the wisdom we need

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1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Seeking after Jesus is not simply asking of the Father, it is asking, plus acting, thats what it means to seek For example, it’s not enough to simply ask for a deep knowledge of the Bible in order to get to know Jesus better, we also have diligently search and examine the scriptures, go to church and seek with all effort to be in harmony with Gods will,

Pray tonight that we would ask God for help but that we would also pursue greater intimacy with Jesus.

As we pray for martins Family also consider ways that we can actively practically love and support them in Jesus name.

Knocking is asking, plus acting, plus persevering.

Who’s Door are we knocking on and why are we to be so persistent?

Well it is God the Fathers door, and Jesus gives us a fascinating insight into how the Father relates to us when we knock with persistence.

Luke 11:5–10 NIV

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:5–8 NIV

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

τὴν ἀναίδειαν (Anaidayan) -More than boldness, its a kind of persistance that forgets all decorum, or propriety, it lacks proper restraint or consideration, it implies intemperance and an almost cheekiness (Impudence) which takes advantage of a situation, it Is why the modern NIV translates it as Shameless audacity. So Jesus says we are to be almost unrelenting in pursuing Gods help and empowerment.

τὴν ἀναίδειαν -More than boldness, its a kind of persistance that forgets all decorum, propriety, it lacks proper restraint or consideration, it implies intemperance and an almost cheekiness which takes advantage of a situation, it Is why the modern NIV translates it as Shameless audacity. So Jesus says we are to be persistent.

Conclusion

Christian rest assured that in answer to your prayers, the Father will provide help for the earnest attempt to follow Christ’s instructions in a world that tries to steal your affections and devotions and worship. Ask (petition) Seek (act) Knock (be persistent). The Father loves you, He cares for you and he wants you to ask for the things you need to live out the Sermon on the Mount.

Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Prayer Meeting. (Ask Seek Knock)

Introduction

Ask

Seek

Knock.