Pound the Rock
The San Antonio Spurs have historically been one of the most successful NBA franchises. Only four teams (Lakers, Celtics, Warriors, and Bulls) have won more championships overall. The Spurs were especially dominant in the early 2000s, winning titles in 2003, 2005, and 2007 after capturing their first Larry O’Brien trophy in 1999.
The Spurs famously have a quote from Jacob Riis hanging in their locker room. Riis was a journalist and photographer who lived in New York City during the late 1800s. He is perhaps best known for leading social reform in urban work environments, and many also credit him with being the father of modern photography.
Here is the quote from Riis displayed in the Spurs’ locker room: “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”
I can’t help but think about this quote as I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT): “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
This verse is especially encouraging for those of us who sometimes feel like our prayers don’t make it through the ceiling. Have you ever found yourself wondering where God is or why He isn’t responding? You may wonder if you’re not praying the right way or if God’s perceived lack of an answer is an answer in itself.
Jesus doesn’t say anything here about God’s timing, but He does encourage us to remain persistent and committed when it comes to our prayers. He reminds us of God’s faithfulness and His ability to act and move as He chooses.
Later, Jesus continues by saying, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Matt. 7:9-11, NLT)
Jesus’ message for us is that our continued requests aren’t off-putting to God and they are not going to produce any sort of harm for us. On the contrary, think about what happens in your heart as you continue to approach God’s throne and ask for God to intervene in your life. Not only are you building a greater connection with the One who can provide all good and perfect gifts, but you are building a greater reliance on God to do the things that you can’t do for yourself.
Finally, remember how much God loves to give good gifts to his children. As Jesus reminds us, in the same way that parents want to give every good thing they possibly can to their children, God wants to care for His people in the same way. We may have to develop greater patience as we wait on His timing, but we continue to pound the rock with our prayers and our actions because we trust that God will always follow through.