"Ask"

Off there in the pasture,

Where my cattle come to feed,

And the evenin’ choir starts singin’,

And the Lord meets every need,

There’s a rustle in the cottonwood,

And a little fawn at play,

And my buckskin mare is a-grazin’,

As the heat of this old day,

Cools ‘cause the sun is setting,

And the shadows start to grow,

It used to be my sad time,

As I watched time slip and go.

But now I’ve grown to love it,

‘Cause I sense the Spirit near,

Finished chores of this day’s labor,

He reminds me why I’m here.

It’s not just to work this land,

And cowboy on this place,

But to create a haven,

Where folks can seek God’s face.

Where sitting at the table,

Or ‘round an old campfire,

They can talk about their troubles,

Their hurts and their desire,

To find a better way of life,

And we’ll be there to say,

Give it all to Jesus,

Hear what He has to say.

And maybe on some evenin’,

Like the one that just has passed,

They will have a miracle,

The receive it ‘cause they asked.

I crank my truck and drive on in,

I think about the verse,

Ask the Lord and you’ll receive,

It’s a good one to rehearse.

Just a little slice of Texas,

Near the Brazos where we live,

And I am thankful for it,

And to God all praise we give.

The blessing that our home will be,

Where others find God’s grace,

O Lord, help us to prepare,

Your welcome in this place.

“Ask, and it will be give to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NAS)

Jesus teaches us to be proactive in our prayer lives. The promise is that those who ask, seek, and knock will receive. Does this mean God is indiscriminate with His answers and grants wishes like the proverbial genie in a bottle? Some people seem to treat prayer as they would a good luck charm. But the meaning is far deeper and more powerful than a selfish, sophomoric approach. Seeking God and making requests known positions us in faith to receive God’s highest and best in every situation. Faith asks and keeps on asking. But faith also says Your will be done above all else. Faith puts the results in God’s hands.

Lord, help us to ask, seek, and knock, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.