Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Several years ago (August 2019 to be exact) my heart was heavily burdened by a situation. I began praying fervently for God to show me the things that He needed me to see so that I could find peace. Within days, I was given a devotion, two actually, that addressed that specific prayer. Although He met my most immediate and present plea, I would find out just months later that my prayer and His answer would actually come months in advance of a much greater need corresponding with the hardest time of my life. Today (January 10) would’ve been the 17th birthday of my precious son, Joshua Connor. Looking back, God gave me a specific salve for my soul, eight months in advance of losing my son, that would bring unexplainable peace and comfort to me in all the days to come.

Today’s reading, found in Matthew 7:7-12, teaches us that God instructs us to do three things: Ask, Seek and Knock.

Ask - Ask and it will be given. This scripture directs us to go to God in prayer. To “ask in faith” signifies asking with certainty that God will adjust our longings according to His purpose. Asking seems very simple, but with asking, we have to learn to discern the voice of God when He answers. Journaling or recording His faithfulness gives us a permanent place to recall what all He has done for us when we ask.

Seek - Seek and you will find. When we seek, we are humbly acknowledging that we still have much to learn. Pouring over scripture, listening to wise counsel such as our Pastor, or others who have experienced similar challenges will allow the Lord to increase our understanding, preparing us to receive that which we seek.

Knock - Knock and it shall be opened. To knock is to act in faith. When we actively follow Him, the Lord opens the way before us.

As followers of Christ, we should know that God knows our needs better than we know ourselves. He could meet all of our needs without the ask, seek, and knock; however, those three verbs show our initiative and our faith when we go to Him. Those words act as commands that we are to take action and give Him the opportunity to fulfill those petitions according to His will for our lives. Just as I shared in the opening of this devotion, He fulfilled a much greater need for me through my asking and seeking than I would have ever known I needed. I opened my heart to Him and asked and I received so much more than I would have ever known to ask for.

Reflection:

• Think about the ways that God has acted on your behalf. Discuss among your family ways that God met a need that showed His faithfulness when you didn’t even know what to ask. Perhaps there was a time that you found your answer by studying scripture. Seeking His will and acting in faith allows Him to work in and through us.
• Prayer: Dear God, we are so grateful for the ways that you respond to our every need even when we do not know what to ask. Thank You for the reminder that we only need to ask, seek and knock to amplify the opportunity for You to show Yourself mightly through us. God, Your specific gifts, answers, and teachings help us to further demonstrate Your faithfulness when we are able to bear witness of Your faithfulness to others. You are a good, good Father and we praise Your Holy name. Amen.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Matthew 7

Author: Anna Overstreet

Today, we are going to focus on verses 13-23. My Bible calls these verses “Entering the Kingdom.” I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to know how to enter this kingdom! This “Kingdom” is referring to heaven. These verses describe two types of people: those who are entering the Kingdom of Heaven and those who aren’t. Please understand that once you are saved, there is nothing to fear about death! That’s why I’m so grateful for today’s reading because it tells us exactly how to enter the Kingdom of heaven! Pay close attention to these verses, and take time to think about God's eternal plan for you.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Prayer: Lord, please help me to know and understand what Your plan of salvation means so that I can walk with you forever. You take what we do with our time on this earth very seriously. Help me to honor You all of my days on earth before I enter into Your heavenly Kingdom! Amen.