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Keep On Keeping On
Andrea Lende • August 24, 2021
Matthew 7:7-8
Keep On Keeping On
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Keep-On-Keeping-On-e16d8hf
Matthew 7:7-8
“Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.”
“For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.”
I write about these verses almost every time I read them.
I suppose it’s because each time I read them I need them, but in a different way than before.
With every new season comes a new need.
Today I am reminded to go to the throne and ask the Lord for what I need.
According to Jesus, I should never stop asking for what I need but sometimes I do.
He tells me I will receive as I continue to ask, so I’ll start asking again.
Jesus also tells us to keep on seeking.
Today, this means do not give up.
We should not lay down something the Lord has put on our hearts to do.
No matter how hard or how long we may have to keep at it, we need to keep going.
Lastly, Jesus tells us to keep on knocking.
The Amplified Bible further explains we should reverently knock on the door, and it will be opened.
A door that has been previously shut.
So, I will continue to knock on that door with reverence unto the Lord.
I pray for patience.
Think of a door that isn’t being answered.
You’ve made an appointment, they know you are coming, but they aren’t answering the door.
I tend to knock more loudly thinking the person inside the house simply can’t hear me.
But maybe it’s just they aren’t ready yet.
They need another minute or two.
It’s the same with the doors the Lord has asked us to go through.
Maybe not everyone or everything is ready yet.
God may need a little more time.
Today I choose to rely on God’s timing and not my own and continue to move forward reverently knocking on the doors God is asking me to walk through.
May you find wisdom in continuing to ask, seek, and knock on the door the Lord asks you open.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to keep going even when things get difficult. Thank You for reminding me to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and reverently keep on knocking at the door You’ve asked me to walk through. Father, I pray You help me be persistent even when I am discouraged. Help me be patient and wait on You until all things are ready. Help me be patient knowing You will show me all things and open all doors in Your perfect timing. Fill my heart with joy as I wait, Lord. May I feel fulfilled at the end of each day knowing I have done all You’ve asked of me. May Your peace fill my soul as I wait. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM leading you in the way you should go My child, simply wait on Me.
Response: Help me wait on You, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.