аЯрЁБс>ўџ 47џџџџ8џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq` С6!2‘ Ѓђђђђђђђ8>,j~}іs"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"hл$h}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}~””””””””””””””””””””””‚ЬNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNhhhhhhhл$4%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% A Promise to the Persistent Matt 7:7-11 Intro: As we look at these verses the first thing that we must be clear about is what they are not saying. They are not saying that prayer is the means to obtaining anything and everything we want. Remember, we must always interpret scripture in it s context in order to find it s meaning. Sometimes we discover the meaning in the immediate context, sometimes the meaning is discovered in the broader context of the entire word of God. In this particular case, we can see by both the immediate and the broader context that Jesus is not giving us Carte Blanch on all our whims and wishes, but rather, that all the things that are necessary and profitable for a spiritually fruitful life are ours for the asking. Notice: Immediate context, stone - worthless serpent - harmful good things - those things that God deems good Broader context, a. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. JA 4:3 b. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 JN 5:14 Now that we ve seen what is not being said in these verses, let s move on to discover the positive meaning of these wonderful promises made by Jesus Christ to His followers. Turn to Luke 11:5 1. Persistence (each verb is in the present tense) i.e. Keep on asking, seeking, knocking. ( Quote, MLJ )  The importance of this element of persistence cannot be exaggerated. You find it not only in biblical teaching, but also in the lives of all the saints. The most fatal thing in the Christian life is to be content with passing desires. If we really want to be men of God, if we really want to know Him, and walk with Him, and experience those boundless blessings which He has to offer us, we must persist in asking Him for them day by day& Like the apostle Paul, leaving the things that are behind, we press toward the mark. Not as though I had already attained says Paul, but I follow after. That is it. This persistence, this constant desire, asking, seeking and knocking& We must keep at it. It is a fight of faith. The goal of our persistence. Good things (Matt 7:11) The Holy Spirit ( Lk 11:13) What God is promising to give those who persistently ask, seek, and knock, are the things of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit, the power of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit. He s promised to give us all things that pertain to life and godliness. 1. Fruit of the Spirit - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. GAL 5:22-23 2. Power of the Spirit - You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me to the end of the earth. ACTS 1:8 3. The Gifts of the Spirit - But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 COR 12:7-10 III. The object of our persistent pursuit. The Lord - Luke 18:1-8 How to pursue the Lord ? Prayer, Word, Service. 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