At times, life seems to be more difficult than we can bear. It's during these times that we find ourselves really knocking on heaven's doors. God doesn't reject us at any time. He just desires that we understand that His door is always open.
Did you know that Jesus teaches in Luke 11:9-10 and Matthew 7:7 that unwavering prayers and seeking will lead to receiving the things we ask for? In context, the message says that God is a generous giver (James 1:5), that He hears us when we ask according to His will (1 John 5:14-15), that He will do whatever is asked in His name (John 14:13-14), and that whatever we ask for in prayer should be believed to have already been received (Mark 11:24).
How do we knock? We exercise consistent and persistent communication with God through prayer and faith.
If God Himself proves to be faithful and willing to hear the cries of our hearts and is eager to bring us internal peace and joy, why wouldn’t we want to keep that door of communication and communion open to a good and giving Father?!
When we seek to reach God, He hears us, He opens up heaven’s doors to us - His beloved! He answers us, He moves in and through our lives, He heals us, He protects us, and provides for our needs.
Our culture equates ’knocking on heaven’s doors’ to someone approaching death. But isn’t this exactly what is happening to the human mind and body? We all go through the aging process, slowly dying. If we accept that reality, we should be intentional in developing a relationship with our maker.
It’s a crazy notion that we only talk to God when we’re already in a jam or after we’ve exhausted ourselves from exercising natural strength and mental energy. But why, when we have access to the doors of heaven?
Jesus asks us to pray all the time. This means that we should be aware to make constant communication to and through Him essential throughout our daily lives.
How?
Communication with God is possible at all times through conversations in our thoughts and being mindful of His presence in every moment of our lives (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians).
Prayer extends beyond specific times. By maintaining a constant awareness of God's presence, we engage in prayer throughout the day. Even if we're not in a quiet or designated space, we can keep a prayerful attitude. Our thoughts can focus on expressing gratitude to God for our daily activities and the attitudes we choose to maintain as we navigate our routines.
Prayer: God, I seek to improve my communication with You. Forgive me for not turning to You in every situation. Please help me grasp that I can approach Your throne and pray to You at any moment. Nothing is too insignificant or too great for You. Thank You for hearing all my prayers. Help me to be patient as I await Your responses, and I accept that Your answers may differ from my expectations, but they are always what's best for me. I trust You and will commit to praying at all times, knowing that You hear my prayers. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.
