LEARNING DAILY

 

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.” Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount

 

Jesus encouraged perseverance in prayer. He has already promised to take care of our needs, not our wants. Prayer is never a tool to try to manipulate God to get what we want. He is describing to us the attitude we are to approach God when we bring our requests before Him. God knows the requests we have before we bring them to Him; prayer is the means He has chosen to bring about the answers. It is also a statement letting us know that God always hears and listens to us when we pray.  

 

Scripture tells us that we do not always get what we pray for; wrong motives will cause our prayers not to be answered. The longer a Believer walks the narrow way with the Lord we know what His will is and we begin to ask according to His will. Prayer and the answer to pray does not increase one’s holiness, but it does show our dependency on Him for needs that can be met in no other way than through Him. Think back to the times Jesus healed someone and He said it was the person’s faith that brought the healing or result. God honors what is brought to Him in faith.

 

I think back to the times the word “seek” is used in God’s Word. Just what should we be seeking? The answer is God Himself. The writers of the Psalms use the word often and tell the blessings of seeking God with a whole heart. One of my favorite verses tells to “seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness”. Seeking is paying attention to the things we say, do, and think with our mind involved. It is putting God’s will before our own and setting our priorities on personal holiness. We “ask with a single request; but we “seek” in a more persistent, diligent manner. I found this that I thought was very good, “We ask with our mouths, more verbally, for our needs and desires. Believers seek with their minds – more than just asking; it is to set our priorities and focus with our heart.”

 

“Knocking” is to ask, ask again, and then to keep asking. It is an action; we live as God wants us to live on His narrow way. If we do not, the asking and seeking are not going to help.

 

Here is what I believe is central to this wonderful promise. God is listening and paying attention to His faithful followers when they come to Him. Remember God loves each of us more than we can imagine and desires to give good gifts to us. He does not put limits on us or laugh at what we think we need. He answers! I have heard often the answer might be an immediate “yes”. It might be yes but, for whatever reason, the answer might come at another time. And, He might answer “no”. He responds to our searching for answers, our lack of faith and the desire for our faith to increase. I believe God wants to hear from the followers; I believe He enjoys and seeks to fellowship with us. We just cannot manipulate Him!

 

I have included some thoughts on verse 8 already. Let me be specific. Answers to our prayers are dependent on our obedience to the will of God. When we ask, we are acknowledging that He hears our need(s). Jesus assures each of us that when we do not receive an answer to our prayers, we continue to believe and walk with Him and continue seeking answers. I would believe many of you continue to persist praying for the needs of loved ones and friends. Like me you continue to “knock” in your prayer for their need(s) even if they don’t know there is a need. We have the assurance from Jesus Christ Himself that those who ask will receive if they ask based on seeking God’s kingdom first, knowing that God loves you very much and knows what is good for you. The one asking must pray according to God’s will and maintain fellowship with Him.