Ask, Seek, Knock

⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

-Luke 11:9-10 (KJV)

How many times have we heard someone say "Persistence is the key." Many people I know live by this motto. I think this is the idea Jesus had when He said these words. In the preceding verses, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Then He told them a story. Verses 5-8 say, "⁵ And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? ⁷ And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. ⁸ I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." They key we must understand, here, is not that someone needed a favor, but that his persistence paid off. The word "importunity" means "a pressing demand.*" The man who came to his neighbor had a pressing demand, he needed bread to feed a friend who has traveled a long way. He wasn't going to leave his neighbors front door until his pressing demand was met.

Do we go to God the same way with our needs? Often times, people pray for something, then walk away not knowing the answer to their prayers. We have to take our needs to God, then not leave until we have the answer from Him. Jesus said, in verse 9, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Take you needs before God, ask for direction, ask for bread. Seek His will for your life, seek God's will for your needs. And knock at the throne room of God until you have an answer. Is this the way you pray? Think About It.