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; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be
opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
It
begins with a thump, then the tap of toenails. She appears, stops, looks, moves
forward. Next comes the half bark-half howl, “Aroo-roo-roo,” and an assortment
of other examples of Shiba-chat. She settles into a down for a few seconds, and
adds a second round of “Aroo-roo-roo,” this time in desultory tones. At last,
she plants her chin on a knee and peers upward, longing clear in deep, dark
brown eyes. How can a person with a heart resist?
Sometimes, the reality is that I’m not eating anything she likes. I know that. She apparently doesn’t, but when I share, she drops it on the floor. Sometimes, I’m eating something that isn’t good for dogs. More often, the reality is that I always intended to share, but the food was too hot, or I’m trying to teach her to wait, or I’m following the wisdom that the alpha dog eats first.
Two perspectives of a simple event in the life of dog and owner. I suspect that Grace’s perspective is long-suffering importunity. Why must she wait so long? She asks using every means she knows, from a quiet approach through shouted demand, through obedience and performance, to heart-deep pleading. The only attempts not made are theft and assault. Those are saved for other requests than food and my response isn’t consistently cooperative.
The Gospel-writers record Jesus’ teachings about persistent, pesky prayers. There are stories of people who ask once, politely, and get what they want, and others who are down-right rude, embarrassing neighbors and doing those things you “just don’t do,” sometimes repeatedly before Jesus seems to pay the slightest attention. Dignity? What’s dignity?
You’ve probably read today’s passage before, and probably, you’ve been taught the lesson that one needs to be persistent in prayer. Three images come to mind. The first is of someone who asks, and receives no answer. He begins to do research into the issue, into the thing desired, into the person who can supply it or the resources needed. He gets to know his enemy; does what is necessary to prepare and then does not give up until he gets an audience.
The second is of a person who goes to a doctor and receives a diagnosis that doesn’t match what the person believes to be true. The person goes in search of more information about his symptoms and the possible causes and in search of a doctor who can help, and he doesn’t stop until someone finds the answer and provides the needed treatment.
The third is of the person walking down a dark street, who senses danger. She goes to someone standing in a doorway and asks for help, but that person closes the door. Next, she runs from door to door in search of one that is open. She begins pounding on them and screaming, in hopes that someone will save her.
Ask, seek, knock” isn’t just doing the same thing, the same way, in hopes of a different answer. It escalates. I often hear sayings like, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” In the Gospels, when the door was blocked, men tore a hole in a roof to get their friend to Jesus. When another door was closed, the woman tried the handle, found it unlocked and barged in anyway. One woman who was ceremonially unclean wormed her way through a crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Blind men bellowed from the roadside and refused to shut up.
Over the past couple years, there have been some shifts in my prayers. I don’t recall when I started asking people to pray about my attitude. About two years ago, I expanded that to “wisdom, direction and attitude.” You might be tired of hearing about my requests for WDA prayers. I’ve since figured out that W+D+A=Faith, but I don’t ask for prayers for faith. I ask for prayers for wisdom, direction and attitude. I’ve just added vision to the list. I want to see God’s hand and face. These are the things that are vital in my life. Without them, my relationship with God and with others tends to go down the tubes. They are sometimes prayers for comfort and reassurance. They are sometimes prayers of desperation. They are so often placed before the throne that I can’t imagine that He’s not tired of them, but even when He blesses me with it in one moment, I must ask for them again in the next, and the next. That might not be what Mr. Bounds means by importunate prayers, but they are my importunate prayers.
Sometimes, the reality is that I’m not eating anything she likes. I know that. She apparently doesn’t, but when I share, she drops it on the floor. Sometimes, I’m eating something that isn’t good for dogs. More often, the reality is that I always intended to share, but the food was too hot, or I’m trying to teach her to wait, or I’m following the wisdom that the alpha dog eats first.
Two perspectives of a simple event in the life of dog and owner. I suspect that Grace’s perspective is long-suffering importunity. Why must she wait so long? She asks using every means she knows, from a quiet approach through shouted demand, through obedience and performance, to heart-deep pleading. The only attempts not made are theft and assault. Those are saved for other requests than food and my response isn’t consistently cooperative.
The Gospel-writers record Jesus’ teachings about persistent, pesky prayers. There are stories of people who ask once, politely, and get what they want, and others who are down-right rude, embarrassing neighbors and doing those things you “just don’t do,” sometimes repeatedly before Jesus seems to pay the slightest attention. Dignity? What’s dignity?
You’ve probably read today’s passage before, and probably, you’ve been taught the lesson that one needs to be persistent in prayer. Three images come to mind. The first is of someone who asks, and receives no answer. He begins to do research into the issue, into the thing desired, into the person who can supply it or the resources needed. He gets to know his enemy; does what is necessary to prepare and then does not give up until he gets an audience.
The second is of a person who goes to a doctor and receives a diagnosis that doesn’t match what the person believes to be true. The person goes in search of more information about his symptoms and the possible causes and in search of a doctor who can help, and he doesn’t stop until someone finds the answer and provides the needed treatment.
The third is of the person walking down a dark street, who senses danger. She goes to someone standing in a doorway and asks for help, but that person closes the door. Next, she runs from door to door in search of one that is open. She begins pounding on them and screaming, in hopes that someone will save her.
Ask, seek, knock” isn’t just doing the same thing, the same way, in hopes of a different answer. It escalates. I often hear sayings like, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” In the Gospels, when the door was blocked, men tore a hole in a roof to get their friend to Jesus. When another door was closed, the woman tried the handle, found it unlocked and barged in anyway. One woman who was ceremonially unclean wormed her way through a crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Blind men bellowed from the roadside and refused to shut up.
Over the past couple years, there have been some shifts in my prayers. I don’t recall when I started asking people to pray about my attitude. About two years ago, I expanded that to “wisdom, direction and attitude.” You might be tired of hearing about my requests for WDA prayers. I’ve since figured out that W+D+A=Faith, but I don’t ask for prayers for faith. I ask for prayers for wisdom, direction and attitude. I’ve just added vision to the list. I want to see God’s hand and face. These are the things that are vital in my life. Without them, my relationship with God and with others tends to go down the tubes. They are sometimes prayers for comfort and reassurance. They are sometimes prayers of desperation. They are so often placed before the throne that I can’t imagine that He’s not tired of them, but even when He blesses me with it in one moment, I must ask for them again in the next, and the next. That might not be what Mr. Bounds means by importunate prayers, but they are my importunate prayers.
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