For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man among you who, if is son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 7:7-12 NKJV

Our wants should line up with God’s will for our lives. If we know that we are praying for God’s will on our life, then we should keep asking. We should seek to find Him and His will with all our heart. God said through His prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” We must be persistent in prayer. This doesn’t mean vain repetition, but this means continual conversation with God.

God is a good Father. So, when we pray for stones or serpents, those prayers may not be answered. What does that mean? Well, sometimes we really want things that are not good for us. We pray for things that we think will make our lives better, but we don’t know our future. Only God does. God knows that we don’t need these things.

There have been times in my life when I have prayed for things only to have God tell me no. At the time, I was so disappointed. I didn’t understand why God would not answer that prayer. I didn’t understand why his answer was no. It would take years in some cases for me to see that He had done what was best for me.

He can see our future. He knows what is best for us today and ten years from today.

There have been other times when God has told me no and I have almost immediately seen why this would have been bad for me. God was giving me what I needed not what I wanted because what I wanted would have been bad for me in the end.

I was praying for stones and serpents and God was giving me bread and fish. There are times, because we don’t know what our future holds, that something looks really good for us. Because God knows what our future holds, He knows when we are wrong. Trust in Him to do what is right for you.

The more we study our Bibles and pray, the more we align our will with God’s will. Studying His word helps us to discern His will for our life. God wants to bless us. Trust in Him to know what you need and when you need it. When you pray, don’t be afraid to pray for God’s will because He wants what is best for you.

This section ends with what is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule. As we seek the Lord and pray for His will, we should also be good to others. We should treat them the way we want them to treat us, not how they treat us but the way we want them to treat us. When we do this, we fulfill God’s law.

Be persistent in prayer. Trust Him to answer your prayer in a way that provides what is best for you. And treat others as you want to be treated. It sounds so simple but isn’t always as easy as it sounds. But don’t worry, He’s happy to help. When you need a little extra strength, just pray.

Have a great day!