Men’s Devotional | 2022 - Day 8
God is Faithful
By Danny Souder
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7–8
T he scripture, found in Matthew 7:7-8, promises us that God’s Word is for us to claim by faith in prayer. We are to ask our faithful God and trust Him to provide and meet our needs. For the last five years, I have led a ministry for youth and parents, the Christian Outdoor Ministry, and mentored them through 25 to 30 hunting and fishing events each year. However, the last two years, because of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, it has been challenging to go forward with this ministry.
Surprisingly, our number of participants in the last two years has doubled. Children and their parents, who had been through the strict quarantine process, were now wanting to enjoy time outdoors and explore God’s creation. They were even able to socially distance themselves in the outdoors from other members of the group. One of the biggest challenges we had to overcome was our finances. We didn’t want this obstacle to get in the way; however, it was necessary to operate this ministry and provide the required expenses.
One of the ways we have always provided income for our ministry was through our annual auction and raffle fundraiser. Despite the number of people participating outdoors doubling, our fundraising efforts could not have as many people participating. As a result, our much-needed funding to support our events and our income decreased. So we prayed and claimed scripture.
We recited Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
We referenced Philippians 4:19 remembering the words, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
We were reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:24 which said, “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
We continuously prayed and asked by faith for the Lord’s help and provisions in meeting our needs. Out of nowhere, amid the pandemic, we were unexpectedly given a sizable grant from a sponsoring group of outdoorsmen. Every time we had a need, we prayed and asked by faith, and the Lord demonstrated His faithfulness to meet and provide for our needs. For those desires that have not been fulfilled yet, we have continued to ask, seek, and knock as it commands us to in Matthew 7. The Lord is faithful. We know He will be. God has done it before, and He will continue to do so, giving us victory as we pray and ask by faith. Our God is faithful and loving, and He has promised that He will be there for us time and time again. Thank you, Jesus!!!
Author Bio
Danny Souder
Dr. Souder has served as a lead pastor, Church Growth Consultant, Dallas Police Chaplain, a missionary, and a professional hunting guide for over 30 years. He has experience consulting, leading, and serving with plateaued and declining churches. Danny has done extensive doctoral research on and with plateaued/declining churches and how to turn them around and grow again. As a result, he has developed and implemented an effective prayer strategy to assist churches, grow, and reach the communities that the Lord has blessed.
Danny teaches and preaches on the topic of disciples-making leaders around the world. Dr. Souder has made and trained disciple-making leaders in 15 international countries, as well as 15 of the largest cities in the US. The result of this discipleship training has produced thousands of Christian leaders.
