“Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’
“The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’
“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
“Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open. – Jesus (Luke 11:5-9 The Message Bible)
Many know the last part of this verse but are unaware it is only the conclusion to the first — the part about a man so desperate he wakes up the neighborhood to get what he needs!
Sometimes we don’t get desperate enough to get prayer answered.
A pastor friend once revealed that when asked by someone if God is calling him/her into missions he always says “No”. For most that is enough but some come back and ask him to pray again because they really think they are called. He said those are the ones he prays with.
Some needs or holy desires require an intensity for fulfillment. I think this is the usefulness of fasting, not as a religious practice but to personally desire something so much you pray and cry out to God for it instead of eat.
— fritz@langgang.com
I’m sure glad I’m not the only one who thinks this way — the logic goes like this:
Patrikin - Kinship through The Father 