3 Seasons of Answered Prayer

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Mathew 7:7,8  

Understanding what season you are in will help you understand what the Lord is up to in your life.

Ask

 The times when all you have to do is ask and God gives you what you need is everyone’s favorite. During this season, you don’t have to stop what you are doing or leave where you are at. All you have to do is just keep being productive.

 
   To better understand this season, I like to think of the widow of 2 Kings 4 who only had a little oil. She asked the prophet for help and He instructed her to go borrow as many containers as she could find. She then began to fill up the containers. As long as there were containers to fill the oil kept flowing. I believe that is exactly how God moves during the “ask and you will receive” seasons of our lives. As long as we stay productive for Him, He will continue to pour out what we ask for.

     “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm.”  Joel 2:25 

  Seek 

This is when the Lord is moving you around to make you better. It is a season to learn and grow. The more time you spend in this season, the better you become. Enjoy the journey. The more you embrace the fact that you have plenty of room for growth, the more the Lord can nourish you.

 
   If you are expecting God to answer your prayers quickly you will become frustrated during the seeking season. You may even clearly feel the Lord directing you to go to certain places, to try specific things, and nothing seems to work out. This is part of the growing process. Hang in there. You are becoming more valuable to the Kingdom. Remember that your responsibility is to follow His instructions not to be successful. He is gauging our success on a completely different scale than the one we are using.

 
Knock

 This is a time to wait on The Lord. If you treat this season as a seeking season you will be moving around when you are supposed to be staying put. The way to tell is by examining whether or not your movements have been beneficial. Are they causing you to learn and grow or are they only adding frustration and confusion?

 
   The knocking season is the time that demands the most patience. The things that fuel our patience are faith and hope. Our faith is increased when we remember the word of God, and our past experiences with Him. Our hope is increased when we dream about what God will do in the future. When the Lord seems to be taking His time, it is because He is allowing you to exercise your faith and hope muscles. 

     “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Written by - Mike Verdin

If you would like a one on meeting with me, send me a message at mike@elderson.org