In this passage, Jesus is talking to the disciples about being persistent in their prayers. We should not simply ask God for something and then sit back and relax. God wants us to consistently bring the issues of our life to Him. Just as a kid asks for something from his parents over and over, we should continually bring our requests to God. Jesus tells us that all we must do is ask, and when we do, we should expect God to respond. His response may not be exactly what we want or what we expect, but He tells us that when we come to Him, He responds. Knowing that our prayers are not going unheard should give us confidence. Philippians 4:6 says we should present our requests to God. If you were to request a bathroom break from your teacher and she denies you, hopefully she’s not doing that to be spiteful. Though your request seems valid, she understands the bigger picture that if you leave, you may miss the next important part of class. Just as we don’t always understand why God doesn’t answer every request we present to Him, we need to remember that God has the big picture in mind. His denials simply mean He has something better than our plans.

• Is there something that you have been praying for consistently? Are you praying that God will answer it the way you want, or the way that He wants?