THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum)
Subdivision H
CONCERNING PRAYER
MATT. 7:7-11
"An objection should be dealt with, which is perhaps oftener felt than expressed—If God knows everything we need, why does he require us to ask? The answer is twofold.
1. If he does require us to ask, there must be reasons for his so doing, in his Divine Fatherhood; and children should obey when they do not understand.
2. We can see that the asking becomes an agency of spiritual culture to us. It nourishes that dependence which takes us out of ourselves, and checks self-confidence." -Pulpit Commentary
"Ask your Father! In the Greek language, it's written this way: Keep asking and it shall be given. Keep seeking and you shall find. Keep knocking and it will be opened. The tense used speaks of continual action. When you don't know what to do, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
Now, please bear in mind folks that God does not want us to keep asking and keep seeking and keep knocking because He's playing hard to get. It's not as though He's holding a dog biscuit out to me, saying, "Speak, Jon. Speak." No, that's not the heart of our Father. Rather, He is determined to cultivate a relationship with me that will be as vital in the ages to come as it is presently. Thus, He says to us, "I want you to be continually asking, continually seeking, continually knocking because you need the exercise in developing spiritual communication skills. And as you do, I'll take care of you." -Jon Courson
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