Knock, knock! Who's there?

Air conditioning became a reality for some in my youth. They were put in one's window to really cool that room and with a fan in that doorway, perhaps a little cooler in the rest of the house. Churches got AC much later, probably in my early adulthood. We photographed many weddings with fans blowing like crazy, sounding like an airplane hanger. I tell you this so I can explain this photo to you. Churches had hand-held fans with either this picture or one of Jesus praying in Gethsemane. (On the back was an ad for a funeral home which I found odd even at my young age. I will have to muse about that one sometime.)

We are learning about worship from our pastor and last Sunday, he spoke about prayer. Prayer is a personal conversation with God. Dr. Uth pointed out Revelation 3:20 as a verse that is used often for evangelism but he thinks of it as a verse about prayer. When Jesus knocks at our door, what does He want? He wants us to eat with Him. When Jesus lived on earth, the evening meal was very important. It was a time of fellowship. Relaxing together. When Jesus knocks at our door, He wants conversation with us.

On 11/23 (Desiring God) Francis Chan ended with this paragraph:

Something Has to Go

It was simple for Paul. He loved being with Jesus. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Knowing Christ deeply consumed him (Philippians 3:8). There is no substitute for being alone with God. If you don’t have time, you need to quit something to make room. Skip a meal. Cancel a meeting. End some regular commitment. There is literally nothing more important you could do today.

God literally determines whether or not you take another breath. “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Could anything be more important than meeting with the One who decides if you live through this day? Could anything be better? How can we not make time to be with the Maker of time? What plans do you have today that you think so important that you would race past the Creator to get to them?

E.M. Bounds wrote, “The devil doesn't mind people teaching on prayer, preaching on prayer, having conferences on prayer or singing songs about prayer. What he cannot stand, what he will fight against with all of his might are people who pray.”

Personally, this is so difficult many days. Everyone is busy! There will always be more needs/wants than we can do. When I was young, home décor included a photo like this. And of course, there was the Grace photo. At Huisken Designs, we sold many plaques of Bible verses. Maybe I should hang this photo in my home so I remember to not race past my Creator!