Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7

Some common phrases and questions have almost become rote. When you ask, “How are you?” are you truly interested in someone’s reply? When you say to people going through hardship, “I’ll pray for you,” do you actually do it? Maybe you respond mechanically to others’ inquiries about your well-being, not actually considering your answer.

The prophet Isaiah spoke to the children of Israel at a time when they had lost any spiritual identity with the true God who had led them out of Egypt. “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). A wall existed because of their disobedience.

Today’s verse might sound like a blank check for prayer, but there are some conditions. Those who come to God must have faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6). Obedience also shapes how you pray, which results in the desire to please God instead of yourself (1 John 3:22). The Lord is receptive to prayers that come from the right place and with the right motivations (James 4:3) When you submit to and understand God’s will, then the things you yearn for and request will align with God’s will for you (1 John 5:14).

Believer, your relationship with the Lord determines how you pray and how you receive His answers. Rather than praying mechanical or rote prayers, come to God with a submitted heart and mind, open to His answers and timing. Pray in faith for this nation and that those who are in authority would seek God’s will. Ask for wisdom and discernment in the direction they are leading this country, so that blessing may result.