Metjū 7:7-8 un Lūks 11:9-10 Jēzus teica, Ask, un tas jums tiks dots; meklēt, un jūs atradīsit; pieklauvēt, un tas jums tiks atvērts: for everyone that asks receives; un kas meklē, tas atrod; un tam, kas klauvē, tiks atvērts. Jesus promised that everyone who asks (prays) shall be given. That everyone who seeks shall find. And everyone who knocks shall be opened. But why do many Christians don’t get what they ask for and don’t find what they are looking for and keep standing in front of a closed door? What do Christians ask and seek, and at whose door are they knocking?
God is not a God, who keeps silent and hides Himself
Es have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right (Jesaja 45:19)
Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, un Viņa Garu, hath sent me. Tādējādi saka Kungs, tavs Pestītājs, Izraēla Svētais; Es esmu Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, kas māca tev būt par labu, which leads thee by the way that thou shouldest go (Jesaja 48:16-17)
God is not a God, Who keeps silent and hides Himself. But God is only silent and hidden to those, who don’t seek His face.
God has not forsaken His children. He has not left His children desolate. But many of God’s children have forsaken the Lord and made themselves desolate.
God has revealed Himself and has given His Word and Holy Spirit. But in whom do His Word and His Holy Spirit live?
Who reads and studies the Bible and knows what is written in God’s Word? And who knows Jesus Christ and the will of God and do His will in his life?
Who spends time with the Father in prayer? And if someone prays, what does the person pray?
Not Thy will, but my will be done
Does the person set time apart and take the time to pray and pray from the Spirit according to the will of God? Or does the person pray quickly a short selfish prayer from his prideful and unrepented heart according to the will, iekāres, and desires of his flesh?
Does the person only approach God to make his will known to Him and go over his wishlist and give God the commandment to execute his will? Because that’s what the prayer life of many Christians looks like.
Many Christians only approach God, when they need something from Him instead of approaching God because they love Him and they desire to spend time with Him, Tāpat kā Jēzus, Who spent a lot of time with the Father in secret. Not to receive something from Him. But because Jesus loved His Father (Izlasi arī: Ticīgā slepenā lūgšanu dzīve).
The prayer life of Jesus
Redzi, Es viņam esmu devis liecinieku tautai, tautas vadītājs un komandieris. Redzi, Tu sauksi tautu, ka tu zini, un tautas, kas tevi nezināja, un Svētajam no Izraēlas; jo viņš tevi ir pagodinājis. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saka Tas Kungs. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Jesaja 55:4-9)
Jesus was faithful and spent a lot of time with His Father. He sought God’s face continually. Jesus sought His Father in everything. Because of that Jesus knew the will, the thoughts, and the ways of His Father.
The prayers of Jesus didn’t revolve around Himself and His earthly life. But His prayers revolved around God and His Kingdom and doing His will
His whole life, Jesus lived in submission and obedience to the will of the Father. And fulfilled the will of God in His life.
Because this was the most important thing in Jesus’ life, and through His obedience, He spoke the words of the Father, turēja Viņa baušļus, doing the works and the will of the Father, Jesus was the reflection of God on earth. Jesus showed and manifested God’s holiness, God’s righteousness, Dieva spēks, and God’s love to the people and manifested God’s Kingdom on earth.
Was the will of Jesus always equal to the will of the Father?
They came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to His disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And He taketh with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, un skatīties. And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, ja tas būtu iespējams, the hour might pass from Him. Un Viņš teica, Abba, Tēvs, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt (Marka 14:32-36)
Jesus knew the purpose of His coming to earth. Jesus often spoke about His sufferings, mirst, un augšāmcelšanās no mirušajiem. He knew when this would take place. Jesus knew when He would be delivered into the hands of sinners. Because the Father had revealed this to His Son. Un tomēr, Jesus asked the Father a peculiar question.
Before Jesus was betrayed and taken captive and tortured and crucified, Jesus went with His disciples to Gethsemane.
Jesus took Peter, Džeimss, and John with Him to pray and was sore amazed, and very heavy.
The soul of Jesus was exceeding sorrowful unto death. When Jesus fell on the ground, Jesus prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from Him.
Jēzus teica, Abba, Tēvs, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt.
Pēc stundas lūgšanas, Jesus stood up. He went to His disciples, who had fallen asleep. Because they were not able to watch and pray for one hour with Jesus. (Izlasi arī: Miesa nevar lūgt)
Instead of quitting after one hour of prayer and leaving the garden with His disciples, He returned. Jesus returned to the place, where He had kneeled and prayed before. Since Jesus was entangled in a spiritual battle that had not finished yet. (Izlasi arī: Cīņa dārzā).
“Abba, Tēvs, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt”
Jesus prayed again the same question. He asked, that if it would be possible, the cup would be taken away from Him. Nevertheless not His will but the will of the Father be done.
During His prayer, an angel from heaven appeared unto Jesus. The angel strengthened Jesus, whereby Jesus received the answer to His question. Because it was the will of the Father for Jesus to drink the cup.
After the angel strengthened Jesus, Jesus was in agony and prayed more earnestly. Jēzus’ sweat became, kā tas bija, great drops of blood falling upon the ground. Jesus had a severe spiritual battle unto blood to fight. Bet galu galā, Jesus overcame the battle between the Spirit and the soul.
And after the crucifixion of the soul, Jesus arose and executed the will of His Father. (Metjū 26:36-46, Marka 14:32-42 un Lūks 22:39-46 (Izlasi arī: Dvēseles krustā sišana).
Not My will, bet Tavs prāts lai notiek!
Jesus prayed persistently and spent hours in prayer to seek God’s face and His will. And the Father didn’t leave His question unanswered, but He answered the question of His Son. Tomēr, the answer of the Father was not according to the will of His Son. But the answer was according to the will of the Father.
Instead of rebelling against His Father and walking away and doing His own will and going His own way, Jesus submitted to the word and the will of the Father.
And in obedience to the will of the Father, Jesus began His way of suffering. The way that meant torture(s) and the death to Jesus. But it was the way that led to the redemption of (kritis) humanity and the reconciliation of man with God.
Lūdziet, un jums tiks dots, meklē un tu atradīsi, klauvējiet, tad jums tiks atvērts
Un Viņš tiem sacīja, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, un saki viņam, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. Es tev saku, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Un es jums saku, Ask, un tas jums tiks dots; meklēt, un jūs atradīsit; pieklauvēt, un tas jums tiks atvērts. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, vai viņš viņam iedos akmeni? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Ja jā, tad, būdams ļauns, zināt, kā dot saviem bērniem labas dāvanas: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:5-13)
Jesus didn’t pray short quick prayers. But Jesus prayed persistently. And Jesus made this principle of persistent prayer known to His disciples. He also made the nature and the will of the Father known to His disciples. Jesus taught His disciples that the Father always answers. The Father is always found. And the Father always opens the door to all those, who come to Him and seek His face and ask, meklēt, and knock persistently.
Metjū 7:7-11 un Lūks 11:5-13, the asking (lūdzoties), meklējot, and knocking were related to the receiving of good things, which come from above (Džeimss 1:18), un Svētais Gars.
It was related to the things of the Kingdom of God and of Christ and the inheritance that believers have received in Christ and what they need to walk as sons of God (tas attiecas gan uz vīriešiem, gan uz sievietēm) as the new creation on earth and to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and represent, preach and establish God’s Kingdom on earth.
The fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit
Jesus had promised His disciples that the Father would give them the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples the commandment to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the promise of the Father (a.o. John 14:15-26; 15:26-27, Tiesību aktu 1:4-8).
The disciples obeyed the commandment of Jesus and went to Jerusalem and waited in the upper room for the promise of the Father.
Augšējā istabā, the disciples prayed in one accord persistently. Viņi jautāja, sought, and knocked, and due to their obedience to the words and commandments of Jesus and their determination and persistent prayer, they received the promise of the Father and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Izlasi arī: Kad jūs saņemat Svēto Garu?).
The disciples had received the Spirit of power, mīlēt, and a sound mind, whereby they were able to boldly preach the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, Dieva Dēls, and to call the people to repentance and destroy the works of darkness and establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
They had received the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and to execute the commandment of Jesus and the work of God.
If anyone has not received the Holy Spirit and asks the Father for the Holy Spirit and prays, seeks, and knocks persistently, he or she shall receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus has given this promise to everyone, kurš tic, and all His promises are true and still apply.
If someone has a lack of knowledge (or another lack) and asks God in faith, it shall be given to him or her. (a.o. Džeimss 1:5-8).
These three elements of persistent prayer (asking), meklējot, and knocking should be present in the lives of Christians. Just like Jesus prayed persistently, and sought God’s face. Jesus kept knocking until the door was opened and Jesus’ question was answered and He received what He sought.
You have not because you ask not
Where your heart goes out to, that’s what you want. And what you want, you shall ask (lūgties). Ja tu mīli pasauli, your heart shall go out to the things of this world. You shall pray for the things of this world for yourself instead of the things of God.
But if the love of God dwells in you and you love God with all your heart, your heart shall go out to Him and the things of God’s Kingdom. You shall ask the things of God, which are not only needed for yourself, but especially for others; for the preaching of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, the saving of souls, the growth and preservation of the Body of Christ and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
That’s why James wrote, If you don’t have it, it’s because you don’t ask for it. And if you do ask, but you have not received it, it’s because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
Jēzus teica, that you don’t have to worry about the things that the Gentiles seek. Since the Father knows what His children need, even before they have asked God for it. And God shall provide because God is a Provider. (a.o. Metjū 6:25-34).
But if you are still the old creation and are not spiritual but carnal and live like the Gentiles, who don’t belong to God but to the world, you shall want those things and ask those things, which the Gentiles want and are focused on, and you shall seek and desire them (Džeimss 4:1-5).
Piemēram, if you love money, you focus on money. You shall pray (ask) out of your love of money and greed for money and material things. But if you love Jesus, you focus on Jesus. You shall pray out of that love and pray for (lietas) Karaliste.
Tāpēc, jautājums ir, Who or what do you love, what Is your focus and what do you ask?
What do you ask?
Jo ļaunais lepojas ar savas sirds vēlmēm, un svētī mantkārīgos, ko Tas Kungs riebjas. Ļaunais, caur sava sejas lepnumu, nemeklēs pēc Dieva: Dievs nav visās savās domās. Viņa ceļi vienmēr ir smagi; tavi spriedumi ir tālu no viņa redzesloka: tāpat kā visiem viņa ienaidniekiem, viņš uzpūš viņiem. Viņš ir teicis savā sirdī, Mani nevirzīs: jo es nekad nenonākšu nelaimē.
Viņa mute ir pilna ar lāstiem, viltu un krāpšanu: zem viņa mēles ir nelietība un iedomība. Viņš sēž ciematu slēptajās vietās: slepenajās vietās viņš nogalina nevainīgos: viņa acis ir slepeni vērstas pret nabagiem. Viņš slēpās kā lauva savā bedrē: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, kad viņš to ievelk savā tīklā (Psalmi 10:3-9)
If there has been a change of heart through regeneration in Christ, there shall be a change of prayer.
Instead of selfish carnal prayers that focuses on the things on earth and on establishing the will, iekāres, un miesas vēlmes, believers pray selfless prayers from the Spirit that focus on Jesus and the will and the Kingdom of God.
Seek and you shall find
O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing (Psalmi 34:9-10)
Your heart determines your life; what you speak, what you do, and how you live. The condition of your heart determines your focus and what you are looking for.
If Jesus is in you and your heart belongs to God and you love God with all your heart and fear God, you shall seek the Lord your God.
Because your heart wants to seek the Lord’s face. That’s your heart’s desire.
Jums būs jāmeklē tās lietas, kas ir virs, kur Kristus sēž pie Tēva labās rokas.
But if you are not born again and your heart still belongs to the world and you love yourself and the world, you shall seek those things, kas atrodas uz zemes. You shall desire the same things as the Gentiles, kuri nepazīst Dievu un nepieder Viņam.
If you are in Christ and Christ lives in you, you shall focus on the things above. You shall seek the Lord and find, what you are looking for. (Izlasi arī: Kā zināt, vai Kristus ir tevī?).
Knock and it shall be opened to you
An insecure give-up mentality has never made a profit. But assurance and determination have. Faith doesn’t give up but faith acts from trusting the Lord Jesus and the Father. Faith is determined and keeps knocking until the door is opened.
This faith and this determination is often lacking in the lives of Christians. Because the most important factor is missing and that is, knowing God.
If you know a person and you know where a person lives. And you are absolutely sure that the person is at home. You go to the right door and you keep knocking until the door is opened.
But many Christians are not so certain about their case.
They doubt and are double-minded. They wonder whether God hears their prayers. Let alone answers their prayers, if they don’t have their prayers answered within a day or a week.
Some Christians don’t know to Whom they should pray. They don’t know which door they should be at. Therefore they knock randomly on every door they’ll find, hoping someone opens the door.
Why do Christians don’t receive what they pray for?
They don’t pray out of Christ, out of the Word, out of revelation and the teaching of the Holy Spirit. But they pray learned words, written prayers, and prayer techniques from their pastor, Sludina, and Christian books. And so they pray from their carnal mind and their faith in the (written) lūgšanu(s) and the words they speak and the methods they apply. Citiem vārdiem sakot, they pray from their faith in the resources, instead of praying from their faith in God. (Izlasi arī: Tehniska ticība)
That’s why many Christians don’t ask (lūgties), meklēt, and knock persistently. Because they don’t pray out of full assurance of their faith in Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Jesus asked the question, when He returns to earth, whether He find that faith, which is determined and persistent, un nepadoties. The faith in which Jesus and also His disciples walked in. The faith in which every Christian; every son of God (tas attiecas gan uz vīriešiem, gan uz sievietēm) and disciple of Jesus Christ ought to walk in. (Izlasi arī: Vai es atradīšu ticību uz zemes?)
Every Christian should pray, meklēt, un klauvē
Jesus walked by faith in God and was determined and prayed persistently and didn’t give up. The apostles and believers of the first church also walked by faith in God and faith in the Name of Jesus. They were determined and prayed persistently and didn’t give up.
Just like them, all believers today should walk by faith in God and by faith in the Name of Jesus. They should be determined and persistent in prayer, un nepadoties.
You can only have this determination and perseverance if you have become a new creation and you know Who your God and Maker is, Who has redeemed you from the darkness, and Who dwells in you and guides you.
"Esi zemes sāls’
