July 23 | Matthew 7:7,22

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DAILY READING

Matthew 7:7,22

REFLECTION

A Call to Action

By Judy Webb

“Ask and it will be given to you;

Seek and you will find;

Knock and the door will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7

A popular acronym in Christian and motivational contexts is PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens.

I am so pleased to have this as the verse I will write about. While it is very familiar, it is also very rich in meaning. Many scripture texts encourage study and reflection, but this popular verse is a call for action. We are called to engage our faith, to step out and pursue a genuine relationship with our Savior.

The text calls us to three action steps:

1.     Ask: Prayer is that vehicle. Ask is an invitation for God to join us in life; prayer is that necessary tool for honest communication with Jesus. We have an opportunity to examine our hearts and identify our needs and then place them at Jesus’ feet.  We’ll never be spiritually strong without prayer. “Ask and it will be given to you.”

2.      Seek: Reading our Bible is one way we seek God’s direction and learn His will for our lives. We need the Word of God to sink into us as we learn the way to His heart. Those needs we have are identified when we seek truth. The Word is Truth and contains answers to questions we haven’t even asked yet. “Seek and you will find.” 

3.     Knock: We have access to the Father; all we need to do hear that knock. We are the ones who must push it open, God will never force His way in. We need to extend the invitation by opening the door. “Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Prayer is the common denominator here. When we participate in prayer we gain access to the Holy Spirit. We unburden our hearts and share with Jesus as He gently leads us on the path laid out for us.

In closing, let's read verse eight and enjoy this promise. “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

PRAYER

Dear Jesus,

What an encouragement a prayer life can be. Knowing that God desires our prayers and then acts upon them because He loves us, is stunning to say the least. Thank you Father, for this amazing gift and our call to action as a step closer to you. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JUDY WEBB

I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.