Ask, seek, knock

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

This is another verse that always reminds me of the chorus to these words. One of the problems with common songs and choruses is that we can get to the point where we just sing them without thinking about them.

At first glance it seems pretty simple – when we ask we will receive, when we seek we will find, and when we knock the doors will be open.

But what happens when we ask and don’t receive? What happens when we seek but do not find? What happens when we knock but the door stays shut? We have all been there if we pray at all.

The Bible tells us at least two reasons for prayers that are not answered. One reason is that we don’t receive because we don’t ask. That is what Jesus is addressing here. I still don’t know all about how prayer works, but it is clear that sometimes we don’t get what God has for us simply because we don’t ask Him. That is why Jesus tells us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.

But sometimes we don’t get what we ask for because we ‘ask amiss.’ We need to examine what we pray for to find out the attitude. We can’t just pray selfishly to fill all of our own desires and ask God to bless it.

When we ask and seek and knock we must do it in the full reliance that God is going to do His will. We can’t get frustrated asking and seeking and knocking because we don’t know the whole scheme of things. We don’t know God’s will. We don’t know God’s timing.

The best thing to do is to try to pray in faith and with the spirit of submission to God’s will. And then just keep asking and seeking and knocking and accepting the result. God will answer according to His perfect will, and that is always best.