Dave's Diary

Prayer

Before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 119:55-56:

Lord, in the darkest nights of my life, I remember You,
so that I may honour You by keeping Your law..
Please empower me to obey your precepts every day.
Amen.

Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your awareness to the voice of God, coming to you through His Word.

Reading

Matthew 7:7-11 

If we’ve realised anything over the last month of daily readings, it is that we can never expect to be faithful disciples in our own strength. Jesus has called us to a beautiful standard of holy living in our conflicts (5:21-26), in our sexuality and marriages (5:27-30) and even if our marriage should crumble (5:31-32); in our promises (5:33-37), when we are wronged (5.38-48, and 6:14-15), in our giving (6:1-4), our prayer and fasting (6:5-13, 16-18), in our financial management (6:19-34), and in our holy community (7:1-6). And there is simply no one able to live this way in our own strength!

And so, as Jesus begins the conclusion to His “Sermon on the Mount”, He offers us this wonderful reassurance and promise:

⁷ ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Reading this promise in the context of the entire Sermon on the Mount, it seems clear that whatever else Jesus might mean by this, He means first and foremost that the Heavenly Father will absolutely always answer us and supply our needs when we ask Him to help us navigate life the Jesus way. He will always grant us His help, guidance, wisdom, resourcing and empowerment to be able to live in line with the radically different lifestyle expected of the faithful disciple.

Just when we are saying to ourselves, “If this is what it means to follow Jesus, how on earth can I follow?” Jesus reassures us that if we come to God our Loving Father asking for help, seeking wisdom, knocking on the door of heaven for the resources we need to fulfill this calling, the heavenly Father will always give us what we need.

Contemplation

Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn these declarations over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ: 

• I will call on the Lord whenever I feel I cannot stay faithful;
• I will trust in His guidance and His empowerment; and
• I will go forward in faith.

Lord, answer me as I call to You for wisdom, grace and power to live Your way today. Amen.