Would you hesitate in asking someone for something they had the ability to give you? That's a good question. I guess it depends on what your relationship is with that person, how well you know each other and what your experiences have been like together. Perhaps if you don't have close ties you might feel awkward in making a request for fear of refusal or rejection. Or maybe pride could prevent you from admitting you have a need to someone you know fairly well. Whatever the reasons, it is possible to go without something you might be able to obtain simply because you fail to ask for it.
But what if you are desperate? What are you capable of doing when you need something bad enough? Isn't it interesting the things we can do when we believe things are on the line and we need to get an answer or find a solution in a timely way? I've heard stories of people who did things they never thought they could or would do when the situation demanded it. But even then, there are no guarantees are there that our best efforts will bring about the desired outcome. After a while, without any sign of a breakthrough, it is tempting to give up the pursuit. It's only when we have been given a promise by someone to do for us what we ask and we know that person has the ability to keep the promise and deliver the provision that we won't give up but will keep asking.
That's one way to look at breakthrough prayer. Either God has the capacity to do what we need or he doesn't. And if he does, then he is the one we need to go to and ask to act on our behalf. So if we believe these things, then why would we hesitate to reach out to him? Perhaps we feel awkward going to him because our relationship with him is relatively surface and distant so we're not sure how he will react to us. Or maybe we don't want him to think that we aren't doing as well as we should and so we keep things to ourselves. If that's the way you think about God then you don't know him very well. The truth is that God does have the ability to do for us exactly what we need when we need it and even more than that, he loves to give good things to those who belong to him. And when we are desperate enough to keep calling on him, he will come through.
To prepare for this Sunday, read Jesus' words in Matthew 7:7-11each day. Ask yourself some probing questions. What is the promise made? What does it mean to ask, to seek and to knock? How approachable is God? How willing is he to bless you with what you need? In what way is God's blessing immediate? How might perseverance in prayer be an important part of understanding Jesus' promise of breakthrough?
I look forward to meeting with you for worship on Sunday. I ask you to pray for Bjorn, the team and the youth who are at the Overflow Convention in Waterloo all weekend. I'm believing for a Holy Spirit breakthrough in our young people that will launch them into kingdom service for a lifetime. Let's agree together for God to once again do over and above what we can ask or imagine, the greater things that Jesus promised to do through us.
Blessings.
Pastor Del