Facing a Closed Door? Pray with the Persistence of the Shameless Knocker

When one of my guys was little, his gift of persistence drove me to distraction. I distinctly remember calling Markel in tears after a long day of questions from my logic smart guy saying, “I’m a terrible mother…in this moment, I can’t say I like my son very much. I love him, but his persistence feels like bullets wearing me down!”😬

That persistence which was so hard in its unrefined state, was actually an indicator of great potential-a superpower in need of discipline, discernment & discipleship.

(Parents, things that rise up over & over in our children, seeming “good or bad”, usually point to an unrefined gift God’s given them. Pay attention!😉)

That memory surfaced as I read about Jesus teaching on the importance of persistent prayer. In fact, he tells a story about & uses a term that is only used once in the entire Bible! It is from the Greek root “anaideia” & translated means “shameless persistence”😬

At first glance, (& early experience with my son) the phrase doesn’t seem honorable, but it IS a worthy trait when applied to the right thing!

One of Jesus’s disciples heard Him praying & asks Jesus to teach him how to pray. He shares The Lord’s Prayer & then ends with a story of a man who knocked on a friend’s door in the middle of the night because he was in need. He told the persistent man to not bother him, but the man kept knocking.

Jesus stops the story at this point & says this: A man will not open the door based on friendship, but if you keep knocking, he’ll finally get up & give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

A person with shameless persistence is one without shame or embarrassment, a faith-led believer whose prayers are not halted by human fears.

If you are in need of anything today, let this simple message sink deep:

Keep knocking!

•Not hearing an answer? Keep knocking!

•Door not opened? Keep knocking!

•Need provision? Keep knocking!

There is a song that says, “Every prayer for today is a seed for tomorrow. Keep praying!” Pray with the shameless persistence of the knocker & see what only God can do!

Father, strengthen our hearts to hang on! We want to become living proof of what holding on can do! 

#OneYearBible

April 4th One Year Bible Readings

DEUTERONOMY 26:1-27:26

LUKE 10:38-11:13

PSALM 76:1-12

PROVERBS 12:15-17

FYI: Clarifying Questions Tend to Pop our Ignorance Bubbles

Clarifying questions are good because they help us better understand a situation or expectation. Sometimes, however, they give information we wish we could unlearn or makes us regret asking altogether. Whenever that happens to me, I think, “Ok, ignorance bubble popped. What now?”

Whether the former info was presented as false or perceived falsely doesn’t matter. It’s what you do with your paradigm moving forward that’s key.

There was an expert in religious law who asks Jesus clarifying questions. He wants to know how to inherit eternal life.

Knowing this guy’s an expert, Jesus asks HIM what the Law says about it-how does HE read it?

The man replies, “Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind & strength & love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus is like, “Great! Do THAT & you’ll live!”

The man wants to justify his actions, so clarifies by asking, “Remind me again, who’s my neighbor?’

Jesus then does what He also does best & tells a story. It’s a good one, kinda like the Hatfields & McCoys. A Jew is beat & left for dead. A priest happens to walk down the road, sees the Injured Jew & moves to the other side. A Temple assistant does the same! But then, “a despised Samaritan”comes along & cares for the man at his own expense!

Jesus ends the story with His own question - now who’s the neighbor?

The man replied, “The one who showed mercy”, & Jesus closes the conversation with this:

“Yes. Now go & do the same.”

Our world is wildly divisive right now. It feels like a Hatfield & McCoy kinda division has fallen over us.

Y’all, it’s easy to care for people we care about, but the standard is SO much higher when we follow Jesus! Ultimately HE is the key to eternal life, & it’s only THROUGH His residing Presence that we CAN love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind & strength & then love others with His love!

Father, this story is so familiar that it’s easy to dismiss it as yada, yada, yada, but Your Word is sharper than a double-edged sword. Cut to the heart of our motives & align them with yours.

Pop our ignorance bubbles & make us weapons of reconciliation! Shift our personal paradigm to align with Yours SO THAT we CAN, “Now, go and do the same!”

#OneYearBible

April 3rd One Year Bible Readings

DEUTERONOMY 23:1-25:19

LUKE 10:13-37

PSALM 75:1-10

PROVERBS 12:12-14

What Kind of Fan are You? Would You be Willing to Wear Tassels?

When we first moved to Georgia, I was blown away by the college football fans. A day wouldn’t pass without seeing some kinda UGA paraphernalia or reference to roll tide 😂I was suddenly submerged into a subculture of clothes, caps & flags oh my! The zeal was real & I felt like I landed on another planet!

We’d moved from the Minnesota tundra & were pretty big Vikings fans, but I can’t say anyone knew unless we said something.

All of that 👆🏽surfaced from a little verse in Deuteronomy. It’s sandwiched in-between a bunch of (what feels like random) rules & says this:

“You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak with which you cover yourself—on the front, back, and sides.”

Why tassels with a conspicuous thread of deep blue? And why on all four sides?

From a practicality standpoint, it seems like they’d be kind of annoying, getting in the way when you walk…ANNNND (I suddenly thought) that’s probably the whole point!

I love that the providence of God attends to the smallest details…even blue fringes😉

This symbolic precept carries a two-fold purpose. The little fringes on the front, side & back of their outer garment serve as a reminder & accountability.

As they walk along and kick the fringe on the front of their robe, every step gives cause for the commands of God to rise in remembrance.

And as they pass the onlookers in their life, the Side & rear tassels become a public proclamation of who they are, Whose they are & what they believe.

It got me to thinking…would I be willing to wear tassels? Talk about accountability! 😳

We have no problem proclaiming our allegiance to our alma matter with caps, clothes & chants, but even on its best day, it does nothing to impact our eternal future.

Do people only know we are Jesus fans because of what we say or by what we do?

I want to be known as a Jesus fan. I want my entire life to become a blue-tied tassel that proclaims the extraordinary goodness of God!

Father, may our lives burn with zeal for You alone! Let the lions share of our time, attention & treasures be spent in fanaticism of following you! We needn’t say a word of what we believe when our lives are like fringes that proclaim Your goodness & grace! 

#OneYearBible

April 2nd One Year Bible Readings

DEUTERONOMY 21:1-22:30

LUKE 9:51-10:12

PSALM 74:1-23

PROVERBS 12:11