Blogging Through the Gospels: Matthew Chapter 7

Saturday’s Reading is Matthew Chapter 7.

I hope you are getting into the habit of prayer (by thanking then asking), reading with SOAP in mind, using SOAP and then listening. Just this week, I’ve noticed some changes in my prayer life as I’ve become more intentional about this time.

Please start as we have by thanking God for His gifts and provisions.

Next, ask Him about all the prayer requests you have for today. Feel free to ask about the tiniest thing, as well as the boldest.

Then ask His guidance in your reading, so that you will hear the message He has in mind for you today.

If you need to read the passage a few times to narrow it down to one or two verses, that is  okay.

What are you hearing? Record it using SOAP.

Before I share what I heard, I have a disclaimer of sorts:

I am not a Biblical scholar. I have read the Bible through several times, but I am not a scholar. For my SOAP time I do not use commentaries, I just listen to what I hear. I am always a bit nervous when a more well-known verse sticks out to me, as I fear that someone somewhere is going to get on me for interpreting something incorrectly. If you ever see something you think I  might have wrong, you are welcome to point that out to me, but please do so gently. I would like to think that we are all learning together and are teammates in growing in Christ. So, please, let’s remember that and be kind if someone needs correcting.

I first began posting my SOAP observations in 2008 so I could grow in understanding and faith.   I am still on that journey.

Okay, on with today’s SOAP:

Scripture: Matthew 7: 8

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Observation:

If you want something, you must ask and then pursue it and I will give it to you.

Application:

I think God is reminding me that just asking isn’t enough. I am not sure about how the semi-colons work and the original formation of this verse, but what I heard today is that you can’t just ask and expect that what you want will happen. If it is good, you still have to pursue it (seek).

This one is so easy for me to see when I talk to others about the Bible in 90 Days. So many people want to read the whole Bible, but the idea of putting in an hour each day to read is not something they are really willing to do for 90 days. But that is all it takes. They have to pursue Him to hear Him and stick with it. He will give them the time, but they have to pursue it.

I have been struggling with prioritizing lately. I keep asking God to show me, but perhaps I am not really pursuing His solution. I am just waiting for Him to clear it all up and make it obvious. I need to pursue that answer diligently and then He will give it to me.

Prayer:

Lord, I am so overwhelmed and scattered. I want to do way more than you want me to do. I want to please so many and not let anybody down and in the process I am probably letting those down whom I shouldn’t.

Please show me what to take off my task list. Show me what isn’t in your plan for me. Show me what is and how to modify things so that I am doing what YOU have in mind for me. You know what is best.

Forgive me for just asking this so many times and then not taking the time to listen and pursue your answer. I want to hear you. I will spend more time listening to you as I modify and build my to-do list each morning and night. Help me to slow down, ask, listen and hear.

Thank you so much for this reminder.

I already feel better because I know this  good. This is what you want for me and you will help. I can’t wait to feel better after listening to you closer each and every day. Thank you!

 

Alright, fellow Blogging Through the Gospels readers… what did YOU hear today? Thank you for coming along on this journey. It’s so wonderful to have friends right alongside.


Comments

16 responses to “Blogging Through the Gospels: Matthew Chapter 7”

  1. Persistence Matthew 7:7

    Less independence … more reliance on God.

  2. Julie Y Avatar
    Julie Y

    Amy, I could really relate to your words and to your prayer. I am right there with you in feeling scattered and trying to figure out a way to prioritize. Thanks for sharing!
    For me, the verses that jumped out were 24 and 26: “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice…” and “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice….” I have such strong mental images of the house upon the sand and the house upon the rocks because of years of singing that children’s song. But I haven’t ever really concentrated on the words that PRECEDE those images!

  3. I love these last chapters in Matthew. There is so much in them. It’s hard, sometimes, to only do a verse or two because there are verses all over the chapter jumping out at me. My verse today was verse 20: Yes, just as you can identify a tree by it’s fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

  4. Julie C Avatar
    Julie C

    I was one of those who started 90 days and only made it to Job… but never finished. People said this pace is ridiculous it can’t be done and even though I didn’t finish it I defended it because you are right Amy, it is just an hour a day and making the right priorities. Having said that, my daily habit of reading has dramatically improved and this is why I am continuing with this series. Slowly, I am building my life on THE ROCK.

  5. Today I learned that God is generous. I’m still working on learning more about God’s character and there were several gems in today’s reading.

    http://www.cassandraland.com/2011/04/god-is-gift-giver.html

  6. In this chapter I was reminded about the importance of prayer. Although God knows our needs before we ask, it isimportant that we fellowship with him regular, both in pray for needs and to give thanks.

  7. Good Morning my fellow Readers,

    I really liked Matthew 7. There were so many verses that stood out to me, though only one that called me by name.
    Matthew 7:12 was what I wrote on over at my blog.
    Look forward to reading everyones findings.

    Penny Lane

  8. I LOVE having just a small bite of something to concentrate on for the day – finding applicable moments in my life, etc. Thank you so much!

    http://lovethesmellofnapalm.blogspot.com/2011/04/blogging-through-gospels_09.html

  9. Elizabeth Chute Avatar
    Elizabeth Chute

    I loved reading through the bible in 90 days so much I decided to continue with Matthew with you all. I want to share what happened the other night. My girlfriend’s daughter phoned to let me know her dad wasn’t doing well. He was in the hospital and she was worried. He wasn’t a Christian, and we all had been praying for him for years. I haven’t been in close contact because they have moved away, and even tho they are close to my heart, I have lost close contact, y’all know how that is. Anyway, I woke up at close to 4am with a song by Ray Boltz playing in my head, “This is where I met Jesus, I heard Him calling my name…I was so glad to meet Him, He was so glad I came.” I looked at the phone expecting it to ring (it didn’t) but I said a prayer for the family because I just knew in my heart it was for them. The next morning when I opened my email I had one from the family saying he had passed around 4am. I immediately called my friend and told her what had happened. She was so glad I did, because she said her sister had been witnessing to him, and tho he couldn’t talk, she thought he had accepted Christ. This, to her, was a confirmation. Isn’t God GREAT!!! I know that since I have opened my heart up reading God’s word, He is speaking to me more clearly now than ever before. I am so glad for all He is doing for me…I feel truly blessed.

    1. Elizabeth, what a story! I’m so glad you were able to comfort your friend. :) And it’s so wonderful that the dad accepted Christ! Praise the Lord!

  10. I have started purposely not reading the Moms Tool Box post until AFTER I have done my own reading and SOAP–because once I start reading everyone else’s great devotional thoughts I find I have a hard time listening and hearing what God may be saying to ME, personally. But I find it funny that I picked the same verse as Amy today–AND also felt a bit nervous about picking a verse that is so commonly known! But it really was one of the verses that jumped out at me, and this one was jumping higher than the others, waving it’s hand back and forth trying to get my attention! ;)
    So–I went ahead and picked Matthew 7:7&8. Though truthfully there are probably at least four (or more!) verses in this chapter that I feel are just filled with things God wants us to learn from….

    My blog post is at: http://tnquiltbug.blogspot.com/2011/04/blogging-through-gospels-matthew-7.html

    1. I do the same thing, I find that if I have read everyone elses or even just Amy’s Post I get lost in what they have found and cant create my own post.

  11. Here is my blog post for Matthew 7. Thank you so much (again!) for doing this…I am learning SO MUCH as I blog and read through the Gospels.

    http://tennesseephotographer.blogspot.com/2011/04/blogging-through-gospels-matthew-7.html

    ~Austin M.

  12. I have already been gently corrected by two readers. Thankfully not on my theology, but on a fact I had misremembered. They were kind.

    I used to have major issues with prioritizing. Make a master list of EVERYTHING on your “plate”, then put it in columns of 1.) must do, 2.) should do, 3.) want to do. Now, put each list into a time line of due dates. That should help you see things more clearly.

    Also, make sure your day has time for YOU in it everyday, even if it is just a few minutes. Don’t give everything away or you will run out of “give”.

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