I couldn’t quite decide if it was obnoxious or darling.

My daughter just turned 11. She’s normally the hardest of my children to buy for as her tastes change frequently. This year, she had very definitive ideas about what she wanted. And she let us know:

I found a small yellow sticky note on my laptop screen one morning: “Mama, can I please have bunk beds for my birthday. It doesn’t cost money, it only costs time.”

We already own the bunk for her bed as it was formerly occupied by my older daughter when they shared a room. So she was right about the price tag. But the time it would take to excavate the storage closet to find it made me quite reluctant to grant this birthday wish.

I got in the car later that day and found a similar note attached to my visor mirror with the same request.

And another on my refrigerator.

And the door from the garage.

And the nightstand by my bed.

The kicker was a garland of sticky notes, one letter per rectangle, spelling it out on my bathroom mirror.

I relented. Her perseverant pursuit didn’t wear down my defenses against her plea. Rather, they increased my desire to bless her with it because I became aware of how much she desired it. Yes, I still had to face the closet, but it became a labor of love not loathing.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are 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!”
— Matthew 7:7-11 ESV

The verbs ask, seek, and knock in these verses are all in the Greek present imperative tense. That tells us these are things we must do continuously. In other words, they are commands that are meant to be habitual in our lives.

We are to be in steadfast prayer over the concerns of our heart, putting sticky notes all over God’s mirror. The Matthew passage tells us how much God the Father loves us and desires to give us good things. While He will never grant a desire contrary to His given laws or designs, He will not withhold good from us.

More important, however, is the instructive point of persevering in prayer. Our relationship with Him grows through the continuous dialog. Whether our prayers ‘change’ God’s mind or simply align our wills with His, the command is the same:

Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking.

What are you tempted to give up praying for right now? Be encouraged to persevere. If you care to send me your concern (on Facebook, in the comments, or via email), I’d be happy to join with you in praying.