Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew 7:7-8)

Matthew 7:7-8

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God. People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found. But knowing God takes faith, focus, and follow-through., and Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded. Don't give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask Him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding. He will give them to you.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

Matthew 6:9-13

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.


This is often called the Lord's prayer because Jesus gave it to his disciples. It can be a pattern for our prayers. We should: 1.) Praise God, 2.) pray for His work in the world, 3.) pray for our daily needs, and 4.) pray for help in our daily struggles.


Joe





 

Prayer...Who is your audience. (Matthew 6:5-6)

Matthew 6:5-6

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Some people, especially the religious leaders, wanted to be seen as "holy," and public prayer was one way to get attention. Jesus saw right through their self-righteous acts, however, and taught that the essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God. There is a place for public prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real audience is not God.

 

(I knew someone who was one of those "public" pray-ers. He kept me from praying out loud because I always felt my prayers would not be good enough compared to his elaborate prayers. It took me a long time to feel comfortable to pray {simply} in public.)

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

An eye for an eye. (Matthew 5:38-42)

Matthew 5:38-42

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁸ “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. ⁴¹ If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. ⁴² Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. Instead, Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us. Our desire should not be to keep score, but to love and forgive. This is not natural - it is supernatural. Only God can give us the strength to love as He does. Instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you.

Joe

 

 

 

Are you known as a person of your word? (Matthew 5:33-37)

Matthew 5:33-37

New Living Translation (NLT)

³³ “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. ³⁵ And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. ³⁷ Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Oaths, or vows, were common, but Jesus told His followers not to use them - their word alone should be enough. Are you known as a person of your word? Truthfulness seems so rare that we feel we must end our statements with, "I promise." If we tell the truth all the time, we will have less pressure to back up our words with an oath or promise.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marriage = Life-long committment (Matthew 5:31-32)

Matthew 5:31-32

New International Version (NIV)

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Divorce is as hurtful and destructive today as in Jesus' day. God intends marriage to be a lifelong commitment. When entering into marriage, people should never consider divorce an option for solving problems or a way out of relationship that seems dead. In these verses, Jesus is also attacking those who purposefully abuse the marriage contract, using divorce to satisfy their lustful desire to marry someone else. Are your actions today helping your marriage grow stronger, or are you tearing it apart?

Jesus said that divorce is not permissible except for unfaithfulness. This does not mean that divorce should automatically occur when a spouse commits adultery. The word translated "unfaithfulness" implies a sexually immoral life-style, not a confessed and repented act of adultery. Those who discover that their partner has been unfaithful should first make every effort to forgive, reconcile, and restore their relationship. We are always to look for reasons to restore the marriage relationship than for excuses to leave it.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

Remove what causes you to sin. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Matthew 5:29-30

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁹ If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell.

³⁰ And if your right hand serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your entire body should be cast into hell.

When Jesus said to get rid of your hand or eye, He was speaking figuratively. He didn't mean literally to gouge out your eye, because even a blind person can lust. But if that were the only choice, it would be better to go into heaven with one eye or hand than to go to hell with two. We sometimes tolerate sins in our lives that, left unchecked, could eventually destroy us. It is better to experience the pain of removal (getting rid of a bad habit or something we treasure, for instance) than to allow the sin to bring judgment and condemnation. Examine your life for anything that causes you to sin, and take every necessary action to remove it.

Joe