What Did Jesus Say About Asking and Receiving?

Thought For Today September1
What did Jesus say about asking and receiving?
By: Robert A. Searles

What a great privilege we have as the redeemed children of God to come boldly to the throne of God in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and make our request known to him!
Of course, he already knows the things that we need before we ask him, but it honors him when we come to him and ask in faith. When we approach God our heavenly Father, we are to picture ourselves as when we were little children approaching our earthly father, asking for the things that we desired, believing with all our heart that we would receive that for which we asked , if, in the wisdom of our earthly father, it would be good for us.

God does not want us to be lazy, helpless children. Sometimes God makes available to us the things that we ask, but requires us to go seek and gather by the means which he has already provided. God feeds the sparrows, but they must go and gather that which God has put there for them. Sometimes God answers our prayers by leading us to doors upon which we need to knock to take advantage of all the opportunities which he has provided for us. If we are faithful in reading and studying God's word and praying, God gives us the wisdom to know how to use all our earthly means to solve our problems. If God must, he will change the course of nature to help us 

Jesus said: "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7: 7-12

Thought For Today - August 31
What did Jesus say about making judgments?
By: Robert A. Searles

Only God has the power and authority to look into the depths of man's heart and judge the motives and intent of the heart. We must make sure that there are no beams in our own eyes that would hinder us from seeing clearly and making right judgments. As we judge the motives and intents of others we are judging ourselves because we are biased by the corruption which is inherent in our own lives. Jesus only is the pure judge of all.

Jesus said: "Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote of thy brother's eyes." Matthew 7: 1-5.

This does not mean that we are not to discern between truth and error; good or evil; but we cannot see all the reasons and motives of others and the final consequences of their activities. We all need to look into a spiritual mirror and see ourselves for what we are, and judge our own motives and actions , and confess our own faults and seek to please God.

What Did Jesus Say? - About Cares and Worries?

Thought For Today - August 30
What did Jesus say? - About cares and worries?
By: Robert A. Searles

All those who have by faith received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and have been "born again" into the family of God , can have the assurance that they are being cared for and provided for by a loving heavenly Father who knows all our needs.

As the children of our heavenly Father, we do not need to be concerned about the future to the point where we worry and distrust the providence of God. The scriptures tell us that we are to appear before God as little children in perfect confidence that we will be clothed and fed, and cared for, even as a little child.

When we observe nature and consider all the fowls of the air; all the beast of the earth; all the fish of the sea; we do not see them planting gardens and sowing seed, and worrying about what they will eat or about what tomorrow holds for them. Instead, they simply live one day at a time. They take it for granted that their food will be there for them and they just go and find it wherever it has been provided for them.

Jesus taught that we should not waste valuable time worrying and fretting about the unknown, but rather we should use our time wisely serving him and trusting that he will provide all our needs according to his riches in glory.

Jesus said: "Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how thy grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or where withal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things,. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:25-34

What Did Jesus Say About Fasting?

Thought For Today - August 29
What did Jesus say about fasting? 
By: Robert A. Searles

Fasting or abstaining from food and drink, and depriving ourselves from some of the comforts of everyday life for a season, ought to be a voluntary act on the part of the Christian. Its' purpose ought to be to purify our body, mind and soul, and express our humility before God for his goodness to us. Only God needs to be aware of our fasting. It is not necessary for us to sound a trumpet and broadcast to the world the fact that we are denying ourselves through fasting to draw nearer to God. God sees the motives of our heart and he will reward us accordingly. We do not need to receive recognition from men.
 
Jesus spoke of some of the hypocritical Pharisees who when they fasted, disfigured their faces, and went about with a sad countenance in sack cloth and ashes, so that they would receive recognition of men for their fasting and humility before God.

Jesus said: "Moreover when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast, verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou when thou fastest anoint thine head , and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6: 16-18.

What Did Jesus Say? - About Prayer?

Thought For Today - April 14 ,2025
What did Jesus say? - About Prayer?
By: Robert A. Searles

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Luke 18: 1

As the children of our heavenly Father we ought always be in communication with him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5: 17.

What is prayer? Prayer is not just a sentimental poem, memorized or read with an amen attached at the end. Prayer is not just some ritual performed in a ceremonial format at some public occasion. Prayer in its' true essence is the spirit and soul of man reaching out to contact and commune with the spirit of God, the creator and Father.

Jesus taught that when we pray, we should call to our Father which is in heaven, and our Father which is in heaven will hear our prayers and answer us; but we must come to him and enter into his presence with clean hands and a pure heart which can only be made clean by the shed blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught that there are those who only pretend to know God as Father, and like to stand in the streets and public places and pray so as to be seen and commended by men. They read prayers addressed to some unknown God only to be heard by those standing around and ready to salute them for their piety.

Real prayer, real communication between a child of God and his Father in heaven is a personal matter between the two communicators. Jesus advised us to go into the closet where no one can see us and close the door and have a one on one conversation with God.

Jesus said: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." Matthew 6: 5-8.

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Psalm 26: 7

What Did Jesus Say? - About Good Works and Giving?

Thought For Today - August 27
What did Jesus say ? - About good works and giving?
By: Robert A. Searles

Men and women love to be recognized and praised and win medals for their generosity and good works. To be seen and glorified by their fellowman is the only motivation of many for their benevolence and charity, even though their heart is not really in it. 

Jesus taught about the hypocrites who love to stand in prominent places and pray so as to be seen of men, and to be known for their so called spirituality.Sad to say that there are some do gooders and givers in churches today that want to be known by what they do and be recognized, and have their names displayed in prominent places.

God knows all about our hypocrisy and the motives of our heart. If we truly love God and love our fellowman, all our good works and giving ought to be motivated by a heart in tune with God, not caring whether anyone knows about it, and not seeking rewards.

We ought to gladly serve God with our good works and giving out of pure gratitude for what Christ has done for us by saving us from eternal separation from God We could never earn God's favor by anything we could give or do. All the blessings that we receive from God are free gifts of God's grace, unmerited favor.

Jesus said: "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them: Otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Wherefore when thou doest thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:1-4.

What Did Jesus Say?- About Loving Our Enemies?

Thought For Today - August 26
What did Jesus say? About Loving Our Enemies?
By: Robert A.Searles 

It is natural, according to our sinful human nature, that we love those who love us, but hate those who are our enemies and do us wrong.When someone abuses us or causes us pain or loss, the natural thing for us is that we get back at them with revenge and like treatment. It seems to do us good to get even.

Jesus taught that even if someone causes us a great deal of anguish and pain, we are, by the grace of God, to love them and forgive them and help them. This requires a great deal more godliness on our part, and if we do as Jesus taught, will reflect God's presence living in us. God has promised to greatly reward all those who do this.

It is not much of a problem to love those who are loveable - our friends, those who love us and help us; but it requires God's grace to love our enemies, those who would seek our harm.

Jesus’s teaching was one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase with the thinking of his time, and it is so with the thinking of our time today.

Jesus said: "Ye have heard it said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you: that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven: for he marketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the Publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the Publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5: 43-48

Let us pray that God will, by his grace, instill within us his attribute of loving our enemies as well as our friends and neighbors so that his light may shine through us.