Just keep asking

Prayer is hard work. Over the past few weeks, God has shown me more and more about how He wants me to pray for others who do not know Him. In these weeks, I’ve had more internal and external opposition to prayer than ever before.

Internally, I often feel like giving up. If it isn’t that, I am distracted by my to-do list or by the telephone or other things that seem like a good excuse for avoiding this spiritual discipline.

But it is more than a spiritual discipline. Last week I was thinking about God’s response to our prayers, not His answers but the way He feels when we pray. Two adult children of some friends hardly ever call them, their own parents! One of our own grown kids hasn’t called since Easter. We know what it feels like when our children don’t seem to have time to talk to us. We also know what it feels like when they do call. I can imagine the way God feels when I bow before Him and say, “Hey, it is me. . . .” He delights in hearing from His kids.

Just talking to God is glory enough, or it should be. Procrastination aside, once I start, prayer comes easily. There is much to discuss and so many needs that burden my heart. Unloading those is a relief, yet just thanking Him and praising Him for His goodness not only blesses God but me too.

Then there are the answers. Jesus said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).

Yesterday God blessed me with a surprising answer. We have a grandson with attention deficient. He has trouble finding a job that will hold his interest and easily loses interest in even looking for one. He has been out of work for a few months. He not only needs a job, and a very patient and understanding boss, but he also needs some strong Christian influence in his life. I’ve been praying for him, almost daily, for weeks.

In the same town where he lives, we also have a nephew. He is in his early forties and a relatively new Christian, but with a great heart for the Lord. Unknown to me, he is also in a management position of a company there. Somehow (my source didn’t know how) these two connected. The nephew, who loves Jesus and is who patient and soft-spoken and fully aware of the ADD needs of our grandson, gave him a job!

Talking with the Lord is delightful, yet answered prayer is like a spur! I’ve been thanking Him ever since yesterday’s news. The verses I read this morning tell me to persist, don’t give up. Prayer is about spending time with Jesus, but it is also the resource He has given me. I can see change in the things that He wants changed as long as I ask, seek and knock. He promises to answer, to show me the way, to open the doors.

I can hardly wait to get off this computer and get at it.