Have you ever had someone nag you? I mean really nag you to the point where you give in just to get them to go away? Teenagers are pretty good at this. They can be very tenacious! As I was praying today, putting up the same petitions to the Lord, it occurred to me that I have complete permission, from Jesus, to Nag! And moreover, Jesus actually tells me to keep on nagging, until I have what I'm asking for. It goes like this:
Lk. 11:9-10 "For I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking, receives...". How awesome! I can come continuously, boldly even, before the throne of God and ask of Him, and I am not called a Nag for doing it!
There is a catch, however, and it goes like this (my paraphrase): Whatever you ask, according to the will of God, believe in your heart that it will be provided, thanking God for everything. So, How does one know if what they are asking is the will of God? Consult the written Word first. If you are asking for a new Mercedes, you won't find it in there--if you are asking for the salvation of someone you love, go for it! If you are asking for wisdom or discernment, keep asking!
The next part of this is (for me) where the battle lies. Perhaps you can relate. In my mind, lies the battleground for everything faith related. I struggle, not so much with the thought that God can do something, but with the will He do it (for me). The other part of my struggle, is completely un-Godly(meaning not of God), but I am going to share it, because I have the feeling I am not alone in this. It is the feeling of unworthiness. And might I add, its pretty powerful. I have, at times, felt unworthy to even ask anything of God. Even though I ask for forgiveness daily or more, I still felt unworthy. I know that my worthiness is only in Christ. I would not have entre' to the Throne of God without the blood of my Savior, so that is not it for me. It is more the attack that comes nearly every time I pray. The attack of the enemy that holds out all these little snapshots of all my failings. Its the demonic whispers that say "you don't deserve His blessings, look at how you handled this or that situation." or the "yea, you better pray, because you are the worst mom ever." These things are specifically designed by the enemy of our souls to distract us from belief. Satan knows what the Word of God says. If he can distract us, and derail us, it is his utter pleasure, not to mention his job. He has perfected his subtle tactics and he has plenty of helpers to spread the gloom!
But God ( my two favorite words!) has provided for even this! The Scriptures are full of the tools we need to ward off every evil. My personal favorite for this situation is to say out loud "The Lord rebuke you, Satan". And he will flee. It is a command that comes from the position of The Authority of Heaven and Earth. I cannot say, "I rebuke you", because I am not the all-powerful, ever living God. But I am His and He gives me the desire and the ability to know his Word, and the courage to use it . I may have to use it 100 times a day to ward off all the little foxes that nip at me and nag me, but at least I can!
Getting back to the Asking: The Bible says "in everything by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known, always Thanking God." Did you ever let out a shout of praise? I had a friend who I used to pray with a lot before she passed away; she was the most God-like creature I ever met! Anyway, she used to say her secret to answered prayer lay in the fact that she always let out a cheer of praise with each prayer! She literally would Whoop it up! It was a riot to see this 90 + year old lady whooping it up with each prayer that came from her lips! I likened it to the cheers at a football game, when your favorite team won the game. Only, she would say, we should not wait until the Prayer has been answered, but rather continuously cheering and thanking God, from the minute it leaves our lips. I have to admit, until the Holy Spirit just reminded me of that, I had forgotten it. I do thank God at the end of each prayer and request, but there was something about the way she expressed her gratitude; as if it were already given, that was inspiring and uplifting--she saw it completed in her spirit and she rejoiced. O, to have that type of faith! It is no wonder that my Mom prayed with this woman each week for my salvation. After a few short months their prayers were answered, and let me tell you, IT WAS A BIG REQUEST!!!
I am so grateful that God does not say "stop nagging me". Rather, he invites us to come and come again and again, and lay our requests at His feet. He encourages us to walk away from those prayers in complete confidence and rejoice as though they are already answered; because they are!
Father we thank you for all that you are and all that you provide for us, both seen and unseen. Help us to know you and have confidence in you. You are so good. Amen
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