If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. — Matthew 7:11-12. NKJV
Men, Jesus moves into the “Golden Rule” saying “whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…” But this is coupled into the finish of “ask, seek, and knock”. Jesus tells us, “if we being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him”. How does this fit together?
Our clue is in the way Jesus closes the golden rule “…for this is the Law and the Prophets”. Weren’t we told to love our neighbor as ourselves? Jesus is telling us to “ask, seek, and knock” on each other’s behalf. Remember back in 7:1 we began unraveling the “do not judge” passage. We are absolutely called to judge. We are called to judge when our brother or neighbor is in need of prayer, a touch of heaven, for doors and understanding to be opened on their behalf, etc. We are to intercede for each other.
The depth I have found in Christ Jesus did NOT come by accident. It didn’t even come through discipline. It came by the love of Jesus to pursue my sick heart, and the prayers of others who recognized my need for Him and His truths. We are necessary to and indebted to each other for prayer. Jesus is telling us to pray for others as we would want others to pray for us.
We who have come alive to the open access of His Spirit within have a deep expectation from Jesus to pray for each other’s needs. In battle terms, we who have “the radio” and can reach “headquarters” should be asking for airstrikes of truth, understanding, healing, brokenness, humility, new life, new focus and more for our neighbors’ sake. We should be able to judge our brothers’ needs, and call in requests for them. Will Jesus not answer us? As His children, will the Father not grant us what we seek?
As we knock on doors to open for our brother, will The Lord refuse to open for us the door? Move forward men. Find someone to pray for. Everyday should bring volumes of mail into the Father’s courts. He gave us the model prayer in ch. 6. Pray!
Vance Durrance
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