Aivtei/te kai. doqh,setai u`mi/n(
zhtei/te kai. eu`rh,sete(
krou,ete kai. avnoigh,setai u`mi/n\
pa/j ga.r o` aivtw/n lamba,nei
kai. o` zhtw/n eu`ri,skei
kai. tw/| krou,onti avnoigh,setaiÅ
Ask and it will be given to you,
Seek and you will find,
Knock and it will be opened to you;
for all who ask receive,
and the seeker finds
and to the one knocking it is opened.
(Matthew 7:7-8)
I read this passage a couple of days ago while reading through my GNT. I didn’t think too much about it because the passage seems to indicate that God is anxious to give when asked; but through my own experience and knowing the experience of others, I know that many of my prayers are not answered for reasons that I perplex me. I suppose the explanation in James 4 probably is the main reason my prayers go unanswered – I don’t really need what I’m asking for. In fact, I rarely ever need anything physically which is probably why I don’t see God answering in tangible, empirical yet supernatural ways. I suppose my greatest needs are spiritual and non-material which are also subjective and hard to determine if God really answered.
Anyway, I found out the other day that I needed an expensive graphing calculator for one of my math classes this semester. Last semester, I borrowed my brother’s TI-83 which worked great, but my class this semester requires a TI-89 which can do a lot more like symbolic equations, derivatives, and three-dimension functions among other things. Basically, it’s an expensive, souped-up calculator that works in ways I’ll never need or understand, but I still need some of it’s special functions for my class. A brand new TI-89 costs around $140-$150 and a used one goes for $70-$110.
I decided to go around town and shop the different pawnshops in hopes of finding a good used TI-89. When I was leaving the house, I prayed, “God, help me find ones of these calculators that’s in good condition for $30 or so. That would be a real answer to prayer, God.” At the time, I didn’t realize how much they cost new so I didn’t think that $30 was really that cheap, but I quickly found out that TI-89 are rare used, and expensive. Today, I went into a thrift store to see if they had any TI-89s, and really I didn’t expect to find something like that at a thrift store, but on my way out I did happen to notice a graphing calculator locked up behind the counter. I fully expected it to be a TI-83 because they are a very common model, but I couldn’t see what model it was, so I asked the lady if I could look at it. Imagine my surprise when I opened the case and found it was a TI-89 in good condition for $29. Of course I promptly thanked God and purchased my answer to prayer.
mo,nw| qew/| swth/ri h`mw/n dia. VIhsou/ Cristou/ tou/ kuri,ou h`mw/n do,xa megalwsu,nh kra,toj kai. evxousi,a pro. panto.j tou/ aivw/noj kai. nu/n kai. eivj pa,ntaj tou.j aivw/naj( avmh,n
