Don Fredenburg
Jim Tucker
H.E. 'Hub' Bowen
Mike Coble
Ron Bowen2/22/2018
"Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to
search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you.
Yes, if a person continues asking, that person will receive. If a person
continues looking, that person will find. And if a person continues knocking,
the door will open for that person."
— Matthew 7:7-8
KEY THOUGHT: Ask, look, knock. These actions sound so harmless and so easy. But behind these words is the intent of Jesus: "Be persistent! Keep asking! Continue looking! Don't quit knocking!" This is not a cookbook prescription, but the target attitude we should have in our prayers and our lives. We must be persistent and faithful. But before making that persistence our key to acquiring and achieving for ourselves, let's remember Jesus' example in the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13: the focus is on God's will—his Kingdom and his glory, on our most basic needs—daily bread, and on overcoming sin through forgiveness and deliverance. Jesus is reminding us that if we stay after these, not only will we get what we ask for, but we will also be changed in the process!
TODAY'S PRAYER: Holy and righteous Father, thank you so much for the many prayers you have answered. Thank you, dear Father, for answering my prayers to be more like Jesus. I confess I am still so very far from his perfection, but when I look at the distance you have brought me in the past, I can view the future only with excitement knowing that you will lead me on to become more like him in the future. In Jesus' name, I thank you and ask for your continued grace. Amen.
TODAY'S VERSE IN CONTEXT: "Don't judge other people, and God will not judge you. If you judge other people, you will be judged in the same way you judge them. And the way you give to other people will be the way God gives to you. "Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? Why do you say to your brother, 'Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye'? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite. First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother's eye. "Don't give holy things to dogs. They will only turn and hurt you. And don't throw your pearls to pigs. They will only step on them. "Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, if a person continues asking, that person will receive. If a person continues looking, that person will find. And if a person continues knocking, the door will open for that person. "Do any of you have a son? If your son asked for bread, would you give him a rock? No! Or if your son asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? No! {You are not like God}—you are evil. But you know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those people that ask him. "Do to other people the same things you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law {of Moses} and the {teaching of the} prophets.
Matthew 7:1-12
What Jesus Did is a one-year devotional guide through the gospels, using one short passage each day and following the Gospel in consecutive order. Each devotional consists of a passage, reflection and a prayer which opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges you to live for Jesus.
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights
