- Jesus invites us to ask the Father for what we need. But we should also thank him that he knows what we really need better than we do.
- The Greek terms “asking,” “seeking,” and “knocking” are all in the present progressive tense. Meaning, ask and go on asking; seek and go on seeking; knock and go on knocking. Jesus asks us to be persistent in our prayers and our requests.
- God is the source of all good things, so we should ask him for them. But when we do so, we should remember that the best thing is always a relationship with the Creator who cares for us.
- Have you ever been grateful that God didn’t answer one of your prayers?
- What’s one thing you’re currently praying for?
- Some of the teachings of the church father Augustine have been summarized with the phrase, “Without God, we cannot; without us, He will not.” This phrase gets at the idea that the primary way God answers people’s prayers is actually through other people. Today, your action challenge is to pray for an opportunity to be the answer to someone else’s prayer. It won’t always be obvious what others are praying for, unless you ask them directly—but oftentimes the answer will involve some form of human action. Look for an opportunity to do that today.