Have you stopped praying? Maybe you didn’t get what you wanted, or you don’t see the point in prayer. It’s time to start praying again.
God loves His children. So much so, that He delights in answering our prayers. We are to ask, seek, and knock. This is one of my favorite passages of scripture in the New Testament. I have worn out this page in my Bible since I have read this time, and time again. The message is powerful, and true.
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.
Matthew 7:7-12, NIV
Jesus spoke these words as part of The Sermon on the Mount. He said a lot in this awe inspiring sermon, and these few verses are just one part of it.
Prayer is important. Jesus tells us to pray. These three steps of asking, seeking, and knocking are different aspects of praying to God.
Ask humbly and confidently.
Seek with a hunger and a desire for God’s will.
Knock with expectancy and fervency,
We are not knocking on a wall. We are knocking on a door, God’s door. That door is meant to open for His children.
Do you ever feel like you are pounding on a brick wall when you are praying? You are knocking on a door. “To the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
“His doors are meant to open: they were made on purpose for entrance; and so the blessed gospel of God is made on purpose for you to enter into life and peace. It would be of no use to knock at a wall, but you may wisely knock at a door, for it is arranged for opening.” -Charles Spurgeon
How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
God loves to give good gifts to us. Even more than that, He loves to give beyond what we have asked of Him. God loves to bless His children. How amazing is God! More amazing than anyone or anything. He is perfect, Holy God.
When my children are hungry, and ask me for something to eat, of course I am going to give it to them. I am an imperfect, sinful person and I like to give good things to my children. Yet God, who is perfect, will give us more than just a piece of bread. Sometimes it is just the bread, the basic necessities, and sometimes it’s a whole lot more.
Needs and desires are an opportunity for us to come to the Father. To lay all our requests at His feet with expectation of an answer. The answer may not be immediate, or may not be what we want. When we release our desires to the Father we are giving Him full control over the outcome. God only does what is good for us, so we can trust our prayers in His mighty, sovereign hands. God is God, and I am not.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
I love how this passage ends with Jesus reminding us to treat others the way we want to be treated. It takes the focus off of us and our needs. We are to put others above ourselves. We do not treat others the way they treat us, we treat others the way we want to be treated. The only way we can live out “The Golden Rule” is by asking, seeking, and knocking. We can’t be seeking God, and asking Him for help, and then treat others terribly.
God is available to His children 24/7. His door is ready to be opened for those who knock.
There are blessings with your name on them from God. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking!
Love you all,
Meghan
Please leave me your prayer requests. I’d love to pray for you!
Meghan E White 