Thanks Be to God

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At our church, there is singing, then greeting, then a reading of the morning’s scripture.

Our church is filled with young souls, young in life and young in faith. Each Sunday as the passage is read prior to the sermon, there is instruction given by the reader: “When I finish this morning’s reading, I will say, ’This is the Word of the Lord.’ Please respond by saying, ‘Thanks be to God.’”

Last Sunday, a young woman approached the platform to read. English was clearly her second language. “Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 11:1-13. If you don’t have a Bible, there is one in the seatback. If you don’t own a Bible, please take this one home as our gift. Today’s reading begins on page 985. When I finish this morning’s reading, I will say…. Please respond by saying….”

The formalities now stated, she paused.

I glanced up.

She held the microphone in one hand, her copy of the Bible in the other. Her head was bowed, staring at the open book.

A deep breath, and she began.

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” She caught her breath. “What father among you, if his son…” she paused, her voice breaking on “father.”

She regrouped. “What father, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish…;” she stopped.

I looked up. She was staring down at the Bible in her hand. Her cheeks were wet, chin wrinkled, black hair cascaded on either side of her book.

She sniffed, “…will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg….” Her voice broke and stopped by a spasm somewhere deep, perhaps as deep as her heart.

She mustered a stage whisper: “…if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?”

Souls laid bare. Hundreds of us, led by a courageous one. If I ask you, if I expose my soul, will you answer with a snake or a scorpion… or will you take me into your soul and cover my naked need?

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father…” her words yielded to tears. She stood staring at her Bible, the hoped-for wonder that her soul’s raw question might be answered with mercy dripped tear drops onto the text she held.

It was quiet. We all identified: I know snakes, and rocks, and scorpions. But could it be there is such a God who is actually good, so good that He is truly my father?

Summoning a quavering voice, “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

“This is the word of the Lord.”

Luke 11:1ff is a go-to text on prayer. In fact, when searching for teaching on persistent prayer, these are the verses.

I’ve heard dozens of sermons on the passage, read many words about this text, and labored to implement—all while feeling conflicted that persistent prayer is the point of the passage.

But, at face value, Jesus’ story is clear: Seek and keep seeking. Ask and keep asking. Knock and keep knocking. Eventually, if you persist like the person in the parable, God will “get out of bed” and give you what you want.

Thus, it appears persisting with God is good, biblical prayer.

Further, even though persistent prayer feels entitled, nagging, arrogant, and petulant, persistent prayer is safe prayer. As the text states, God isn’t going to give you a snake, or a stone, or a scorpion. So, ask God for whatever it is, and if He doesn’t answer right away, it’s because He’s busy, doesn’t want to be bothered, or He’s off duty. So, persist.

Granted, there is a point to be made about the activity and disposition of prayer from this passage, but in practice, persistent prayer—no matter how persistent—doesn’t consistently produce the desired answer. You aren’t healed. Cancer does not go into remission. Your financial predicament doesn’t resolve. The tree falls on your car. Your kid makes a bad decision. You’re not protected from the drunk driver. And even though they say they’re always there, the insurance company doesn’t pay.

There are plenty of times God says, “No.” Plenty of times when He follows up with, “What part of ‘No’ do you not understand, Son?”

The sermon that followed the reading was delivered by a guest speaker. He preached on persistent prayer, the imperative of prayer, and the need to gather for prayer. He provided examples of answered prayer and his call to action was compelling.

But the passage’s presentation of persistence is not what brought tears to the young woman’s eyes, nor to mine, nor to the cheeks of the several hundred in the auditorium. While the sermon was about prayer, the reading was about God the Father’s disposition toward those who want to know Him. The words that moved her and us, established Him and birthed hope that He might answer and provide for the persistent longing in our hearts to know Him.

Jesus’ story is worthy sermon material, but this prayer is a fantasy. There is no hope of knowing God. How can the finite and fallen know the infinite and divine? It’s preposterous, no matter how persistent you are.

Or perhaps the prayer is fantastic?

As the One who is good, God condescends to your plea and provides a Counselor, a Guide, One sent to take up position alongside, assuage your longing heart, and coach your understanding. He is the answer from God to your persistent prayer.

But how?

Persistent seeking, asking, and knocking to know and understand is indicative of relational exchange. Constancy and pursuit are endemic to vibrant relationships. To this end of heart’s desire, there is God’s gifted answer: the Holy Spirit.

This is the heart’s persistent prayer, its heart-cry; it’s deep desire, gut-level longing, soul-baring groan; its prayers at midnight, its tears at the beginning of a Sunday service: Could it be there is such a father?

Her reading sought the possibility of hope. Her tears were the bold ask, Father: Will you grant my heart’s persistent desire? I’m daring to knock.

“Thanks be to God,” I breathed, as the speaker approached the lectern.