“And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).

     Translation from one language to another can be tricky. The verbiage Jesus uses in the text above is no different. Ask, seek, and knock appear as one-time actions. However, all three verbs use what is called an imperfect imperative tense. The New Living Translation of the Bible conveys a more accurate interpretation of Jesus’ original words:

Jesus is claiming that repeating our prayers is a must do. Day after day, week after week, year after year. Don’t stop praying just because your prayer isn’t answered on the first try. Persistence is critical.

     When our children were young, my wife would encourage them to write down what they wanted for Christmas several weeks in advance. Over time, they pared down their lists and their true wishes would rise to the top. The lesson we discovered as a family is that half of having is in the wanting. The more our children wanted something, the more their parents recognized what they would appreciate most having.

     God oftentimes deals with our prayers in a similar way. As we continue the process of asking, seeking, and knocking, our wants are refined until we can fully appreciate what we eventually receive from God’s hand. The renowned nineteenth-century preacher, Charles Spurgeon once wrote:

 In the days of steel and brimstone matches, we had to strike and strike again, dozens of times before we could get a spark to live in the tinder; and we were thankful enough if we succeeded at last. Shall we not be as persevering and hopeful…? Never let us despair, God’s time for mercy will come…Ask in faith, nothing wavering; but never cease from petitioning because the King delays to reply. Strike the steel, again. Make the sparks fly, and have your tinder ready; you will get a light before long.

The work that God does in our hearts while we wait for the answer to our prayers is equally as important as the answer itself. Delaying His response to our requests can afford God the time to purify our motives, increase our faith, and stretch our patience.

     Perhaps you have been wondering of late if God is listening to your prayers. You’ve prayed for a mate but you’re still single. You’ve prayed for financial relief yet you’re still in debt. You’ve prayed for better health and you’re still feeling poorly. You pray and pray yet wonder if you are being heard.

     Well, if Jesus were to speak to you today, I believe he would say, “Don’t you despair. Don’t you quit. Don’t you even think about abandoning your prayers.” Because eventually, you’ll discover that God’s answer is really worth the wait.