I'm on My Knees Begging You to Notice Me . . .

There is a popular song currently playing on Christian radio called "Hold My Heart," by Tenth Avenue North, and these are the lyrics to the first verse:


How long must I pray, must I pray to You?
How long must I wait, must I wait for You?
How long 'til I see Your face, see You shining through?
I'm on my knees, begging You to notice me.
I'm on my knees, Father will You turn to me?


Do we really need to beg God to notice us or to hear us when we pray? Will begging God somehow make our prayer more effective? I am sure that most of us at some time or the other have found ourselves in a desperate situation which led us to beg God to answer our prayer. Quite often, when we are doing our begging, the only answer we are seeking is the one we desire. We are not begging Him for His answer, but our answer. But in those times when you have found yourself begging, have you received the answer you were seeking? Maybe, but maybe not, and that kind of posture befoe God will often lead us to feelings of emptiness and mistrust of the very One who created us!


What did Jesus say about such things? When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He gave them what we commonly refer to as "The Lord's Prayer," but He did not stop there. He went on to explain how we should approach God: "So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10) Prayer is not a complicated process; it is simply conversing with the Father. While He knows what is on our hearts, He wants us to bring it to Him and say it with words out of our own mouth.


Are there other things to consider when we pray? Prior to Jesus' teaching on prayer, Matthew records His teaching on worrying. Jesus teaches His followers not to worry, because our Heavenly Father knows what we need and He will meet all of our needs. One of Jesus' final statements in this teaching is this: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) So there's the catch, seek God, His righteousness and those things that you need will be provided, not just some of the things, but Jesus said ALL things. Here are some questions to consider when you feel like your prayers are in vain: Are you seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness? Are you seeking His will for your life or are you asking Him to bless your plans and your agenda? Who do you think has the best answers for your life, you or God?


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:11-12