August 10, 2014

                 "Ask God for your miracle and keep asking, then see what happens."  It was part of Pastor Ernie's message today.  
Like all his messages, I needed to hear it.  He reminded me of just how big God really is.  He reminded me that God created the universe and that the creator of the world can surely handle my little miracle,  my urgent need, my hopes and dreams.   
Ernie recited the bible verse where Jesus says "Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be open."
It's one of my favorites but not always for the right reasons.  

That verse appealed to me because is sounds so much like an invitation the owner of a candy story might give to a wide eyed kid. "Come and get it, have whatever you want."  
I'm learning God is not a cosmic candy store owner,  offering me anything my eyes and stomach delights in. 

The "asking, seeking and knocking" is prayer, that's where I talk to God.  I can ask him for things, a better paying job, a house, the right mate,  good health.  I can ask for guidance, wisdom, strength and faith. 

But it's not always about asking for something.
Prayer, I'm learning, is about being in the presence of God, building a relationship with him.  It's about coming to him to say" What do you want to say to me Father?"   

Today Pastor Ernie reminded me that God wants to spend time with me,  just like earthly Fathers want to spend time with their children, so God wants me to stop by for a chat.

Just as  I want to spend time with the people I love, so God, who loves me, wants time with me.
He doesn't want me to constantly show up with a "I gotta have this now" list.   

God wants  me to seek his presence, to sit before his throne with an open heart. looking for him to fill it. 
God wants me to come with the question "What do you want to say to me Father?" God wants me to listen as he speaks to my heart.

Now back to the "Ask, seek, and knock verse". 
Jesus says in order for the asking, seeking and knocking to get results, there is something I must do.  
According to Jesus, I must "adide" in him and his word must "abide" in me.   Then and only then does the asking, seeking and knocking  lead to the giving, finding , and opening. 
That means I must stay in relationship, or abide, with Jesus and his word must stay in me. 

Put another way, I am to continually study the word and develop a relationship with God.
Then when I go to him in prayer with my needs or just my desire to hear what he wants of me, we are not strangers.
I am learning that I have to make time to sit in God's presence and talk to him, in other words I have to make time to pray.
He is my Father, and I'm his child, family makes time for family. 
Spending time with someone is the best way to get to know him. Spending time with God is the best way to get to know him. If I do it consistently, It means I'm also spending time in his word. 
"If you abide in me, and my word abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." That's what the Bible says.

When I get to know God through his word and through talking to him, he speaks to me and tells me what he wants me to know. This is how I grow 
as a Christ follower,  this is how I mature, how I know how to live in this world.  This is what gives me the wisdom to ask for the right thing when I pray.
He is not the Cosmic candy store owner, and I'm not the greedy child.    He is my Father and he wants to hear what I have to say to him, but more importantly, I want to hear what he has to say to me.