Jesus, explain The Three Keys To All Of Christianity to me: Mat 7:7-11 (NIV) 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; he who SEEKS finds; and to him who KNOCKS, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son ASKS for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ASKS for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ASK Him! Make it clear to me that I get good gifts from my Father in heaven BECAUSE He gives them to those who ASK Him.

Jesus, PRAYER wasn’t one of the principles I was taught in the world. I was taught to push forward, believe in myself, set goals, make plans, make up my mind, determine to win, and do what it takes to succeed. Help me see that the major pressure for winning at life was on my shoulders. If I didn’t have what it takes, then I would end up being a loser. If I didn’t have what other people wanted or needed, they would go to someone else. If they didn’t like me, then they would try to find someone they did like. It was my responsibility to empress, please, influence, and meet other people’s needs and wants.

James 4:1-2 (NIV) What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. Jesus, the world tought me to fight for what I want and need. I soon realized that I represented ME and what was best for ME. I soon found out that everyone else was mostly interested in themselves. If they were kind to me, then they wanted something from me. If they were civilized enough, they wouldn’t try to take it away from me; they would try to get me to let them have it.

Jesus, teach me that God wants me to ONLY get those things that flow through Him. But, He doesn’t want me to get anything through Him that I don’t PRAY and ask for. Gen 1:27 (NIV) So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Make it clear to me that God created me with a God-given free will; I can’t be programed to do the right thing like a robot. God won’t force me like a slave to do the right thing. I have to DESIRE it or God won’t do it for youme Teach me that the way for me to let God know what I want is to PRAY for it. That is me giving God my permission to do what I DESIRE.

Jesus, teach me that a permission based relationship is one where I and God have to have each other’s permission. Help me see that when I pray, I am giving God my permission to do something for me, in me, with me, or through me. If He answers my prayer positively, then that is Him giving me His permission to have it. Help me understand that I lack God’s knowledge, foreknowledge of the future, understanding, wisdom, and love. So, I will OFTEN ask for things that I am convinced are good for me, but they aren’t. Show me that when this happens, I don’t get God’s permission to get them from Him. But, help me keep in mind that I may get them through some other source; but, I won’t get them through PRAYER.

Jesus, each day, as I go through these studies, take me through Biblical truths on the first page. Then on the next page empower me to spend time praying for all those things You exposed me to. Help me pray for them with true DESIRE and willingness so You can install them into my HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH of will. I have been praying a lot of prayers that I may not remember; but, You remember them. Make it clear to me that each one of those prayers have become like spiritual food to me. I may not remember what I ate yesterday; but, that food is feeding my body right now. Teach me that, that is the way these PRAYERS are for my spiritual growth.