Persistence

Matt 7:7,8 "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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

I would have to say that last night was an amazing night at our men's Bible study. James MacDonald was teaching on the Holy Spirit and how the Spirit of God works in our lives. When he was done we did what we normally do and had a discussion. It was kind of slow at first, but then something happened. It really picked up steam when our conversation started to center on people that we know who do not know Christ. I think it began when a question was asked about how we see the Spirit of God working in our world today. That lead to a discussion on what has happened in Japan, and that somehow lead to what is happening in our country and the economic situation that we find ourselves in, and that lead to a discussion about how we, the church, the body of Christ are the only ones who have hope. We are the only ones who should have stability. When it all comes crashing down around us, we are the ones who should be able to say to the world: "Look. Here is the answer…it is Jesus. He gives hope. He provides stability. He meets needs. He insures your eternal destiny." Well, that lead Doug Daugherty to tell us what he asked the Lord to do for him on our retreat last weekend…that God would make him bolder about his faith. Now there is a prayer. "Ask and it will be given to you." That then lead to Dave Wible to talk about a list that he created of people who needed to know Christ that he put in his Bible years ago. He told us that out of 100 names, 98 of them had come to faith. Then we were challenged with a story about a guy who was praying for his children and how he was impressed that he was the only guy in the world who was praying for his kids. This was shared with a group of men and they then shared names of people that they wanted to pray for and now a bunch of guys are praying for a bunch of people whose names may have not been lifted up to heaven other than by one or two other people. Now God is being bombarded with names from all kinds of guys who care.

The challenge for us was: Why don't we do this? Why don't we create a list of people who need Christ and everyone start praying. "Ask and it will be given to you." Let's start to repeatedly go to God and give Him names. Don't give up. Don't let up. Why? "Ask and it be given to you." Don't just stop there, though…"Seek and you will find." But don't just stop there. "Knock and it will be opened to you." Ask, seek, knock. Why? Because, as we were reminded last night: "You have not because you ask not." We need to keep asking. God needs to see our hearts. We need to be persistent and then watch what He does.