Reduce Your Stress by Praying the Lord’s PrayerSample

Matthew 6:11 “Give us today, our daily bread”

Ask Audaciously for What You Need

When my husband Steve and I were raising our kids, some were more persistent than others. They would pitch a request for something, and if they didn’t succeed the first time, they thought they just hadn’t tried the correct argument. At times as parents, we would become frustrated. God is not like that. He is a perfect Father. He doesn’t get impatient or feel annoyed with our persistent audacious asking. On the contrary, He actually invites that.

Jesus, at one point in his ministry, told the story of a persistent neighbor who knocked on the door after midnight to borrow a loaf of bread. (Luke 11: 5-8). Now call me crazy, but I don’t recommend you go knocking on your neighbor’s door at midnight to borrow bread or any other food item. However, in Jesus’s story, the neighbor keeps knocking. Then Jesus says, because of the neighbor’s shameless audacity, the neighbor who has gone to bed will surely get up and give as much as needed. Then Jesus invites, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:8). Wow! What an offer!

Jesus was trying to make the point that our Father doesn’t get annoyed or aggravated by our persistent audacious asking. He delights in it. Now, does this mean He’ll give us everything we want? No. He will, however, give us everything we need. The truth is, He absolutely delights in hearing our requests and finds great joy in our persistence. As we persist, if it’s not the right thing for us, God will change our hearts and show us. We can trust Him.

I wonder what you’ve been praying for? A wayward child to come home? A relationship to be restored? A job to open? In His time, God will answer. You can rest assured. He might not give you an answer that fits your plan, but He will definitely give what is best for you.

Pause and Reflect: How do you imagine God’s face when you are praying? Name one thing you’ve been praying for longer than a month. What does it look like to pray persistently?

Pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for inviting me to ask audaciously and persistently for my daily bread. Sometimes, I confess, I become discouraged, wondering if you will answer. Thank You for the reassurance from Your word that You don’t get impatient with me or annoyed by my requests. I praise You that You are a good Father who delights to hear the requests of His children. Teach me to trust You even when I don’t see You moving.