Ask, Seek, Knock - Matthew 7:7-12
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Reflection: While Jesus taught earlier that the one who prays in secret to his Heavenly Father is rewarded, here he further expounds what this looks like. Jesus gives a threefold formula for effective prayer. He says ask, seek, knock. Though God is the one who answers prayers, here we are taught how to pray. In the Lord's Prayer we are taught what to pray. And you can see here prayer is more than a rote regurgitation of words. In our prayers we ask God for what we need. We seek to understand His will and provision for what we have asked for. Then finally and maybe most importantly, we knock on the door that will open God's kingdom to pour down from heaven as it is on earth.
Remember in God's kingdom, or you might say God's economy, there is always enough to go around. And in God's kingdom, God is ruling so there is complete freedom from sin and it's effects. So we might ask for forgiveness in prayer. Seek forgiveness through God's provision in Jesus Christ. And then walk through the door of opportunity as Jesus promises us in Revelation, "Behold I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears and answers, I will come in and dine with him and he with me." (revelation 3:20).
Where are you at in your prayer life? Has it become stale? I think you will find if you engage with asking, seeking and knocking in mind you will find a new energy in your prayer life, as heaven's doors are answered and new peace is found in prevailing and persistent prayer. Notice sometimes we wrestle with God in relation to prayer. We ask why God? Why are you allowing these circumstances in my life? What door is being opened in all this so your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven?
Finally we see that great promise that God always answers prayer. Not always in our timing, or in our way but He always answers. And then we see like a good Heavenly Father, when we ask for bread we are not given a stone. If our earthly parents know how to give us good gifts, how much more our Heavenly Father who created us, loves us and wants to work His good purpose in and through us until He calls us back home.
Jesus thank you for prayer. You modeled for us not only what to pray but how to pray. As we ask, seek, and knock may Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Reflection: While Jesus taught earlier that the one who prays in secret to his Heavenly Father is rewarded, here he further expounds what this looks like. Jesus gives a threefold formula for effective prayer. He says ask, seek, knock. Though God is the one who answers prayers, here we are taught how to pray. In the Lord's Prayer we are taught what to pray. And you can see here prayer is more than a rote regurgitation of words. In our prayers we ask God for what we need. We seek to understand His will and provision for what we have asked for. Then finally and maybe most importantly, we knock on the door that will open God's kingdom to pour down from heaven as it is on earth.
Remember in God's kingdom, or you might say God's economy, there is always enough to go around. And in God's kingdom, God is ruling so there is complete freedom from sin and it's effects. So we might ask for forgiveness in prayer. Seek forgiveness through God's provision in Jesus Christ. And then walk through the door of opportunity as Jesus promises us in Revelation, "Behold I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears and answers, I will come in and dine with him and he with me." (revelation 3:20).
Where are you at in your prayer life? Has it become stale? I think you will find if you engage with asking, seeking and knocking in mind you will find a new energy in your prayer life, as heaven's doors are answered and new peace is found in prevailing and persistent prayer. Notice sometimes we wrestle with God in relation to prayer. We ask why God? Why are you allowing these circumstances in my life? What door is being opened in all this so your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven?
Finally we see that great promise that God always answers prayer. Not always in our timing, or in our way but He always answers. And then we see like a good Heavenly Father, when we ask for bread we are not given a stone. If our earthly parents know how to give us good gifts, how much more our Heavenly Father who created us, loves us and wants to work His good purpose in and through us until He calls us back home.
Jesus thank you for prayer. You modeled for us not only what to pray but how to pray. As we ask, seek, and knock may Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
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