Ask, Seek, and Knock

First thing in the morning, do you hit the floor running or hit the floor praying? Unless you can run at the speed of light, the praying is most effective.

March’s Awakening, Day 27

I got up early one morning

And rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me,

And heavier came each task;

“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered.

He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty,

But the day toiled on gray and bleak;

I wondered why God didn’t show me.

He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence;

I used all my keys in the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided,

“My child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning,

And paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I had to take time to pray.

 —Author Unknown

Though I forget to say my prayers or lose my words because life has taken me toward other things, I am grateful dear God, for your constancy within my life and although I may not show the same commitment, believe that my heart intends to strive always to give back that same constancy that you, in your Grace, have offered me.  

 —Sheryl Withers, “Prayer”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7–8 NIV 

            Our lives are filled to the brim with busyness. Much of that busyness is constructive and necessary but some of it is non-productive. The more we need to do, the more priorities we need to establish and adhere to. It is easy to put time with God and prayer on the back burner, but the spiritual reality of that is an eventual loss of effectiveness, direction, satisfaction, and connection with the One who holds the keys to everything. The time that we believe we are gaining is actually an increase in time we are losing, for our overall ability and productivity will suffer. Time spent with God and in prayer will never be a loss of time. We will become better focused, more effective, stronger, and will complete tasks more excellently having been in God’s presence.

            Pray first. Ask, seek, and knock. He has much waiting in store for you, and guidance that you should never overlook. If you truly want to be the most successful in every endeavor, then make sure you include the One who can orchestrate it all for you. It will be the absolute best use of your time.