10 verses that forever make prayer available, God accessible and us responsible (to act in faith!)

We begin with four verses in Romans 8 that are stunners. In truth, we don’t need to go further to settle the matter of God’s availability and our blessedness…

The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us [which is what he has been saying for 30 verses!], who can be against us? (Romans 8:31.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

In addition, there are incredible verses, promises, and insights scattered throughout the New Testament shining forth like beacons calling us to believe God and start obeying…

Fear not little children. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).
Ask, seek, knock. You shall receive, shall find, and it shall be opened unto you (Luke 11:7ff).
If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11). We have the variation of this, Luke 11:13, where “your Heavenly Father (will) give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”
Your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8). But He won’t force them on you. See the next verse.
Behold, I stand at your door and knock. If anyone hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and dine with him [bringing the blessings of Heaven right up to our door, then waiting for permission to enter and bless us!] (Revelation 3:20).
You have not because you ask not” (James 4:3). What could be simpler?

John 10:10 comes to mind also. “I have come that (you) might have life and have it more abundantly.”

God is so on our side, for us, loving and knocking Himself out to help us, that it isn’t funny.

Where’s the difficulty?

The problem is us, isn’t it? As our Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem for its long history of rejections, He said, “How many times I would have…but you were unwilling” (Matthew 23:37). The problem was not with God. He was willing, but would not force His blessings on His people.

I love the image that comes at the end of Revelation 3 and the beginning of chapter 4. In 3:20, it’s the door to the human heart that is closed, and two verses later, John says, “I looked and the door to heaven was standing open.” It’s still open, friend. God is open for business. The problem is with us.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was ripped down the middle, top-down (Luke 23:45). That was the Father in heaven saying, “Heaven is now open for business, people! Come on in.”

What will it take for us to start believing?

I love the little story of the little elderly lady in church. The pastor had called on George to lead in prayer and as was his practice, he went on and on and on. The congregation grew restless as always, but George was in his own little world. Finally, the little old lady behind him reached over and tugged at his coat tail. “George,” she said, “Call Him Father and ask Him for something!”

No one has ever improved on that formula for prayer.

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