Ask, Seek, Knock

by Deb Meyers

Lord, I humbly ask that you reveal yourself to me this week in new and fresh ways. I seek to know You, not just know about You. Help me to dig a little deeper in Your Word, in order to gain greater wisdom and insight into You and Your ways. I trust that you have good things in store for me. Help me this week, to see the world and those in it, as you see it. Help me to love as you love. Amen.

Day 1 – Read Matthew 7:7-8.
The first phrases of each verse are astonishing, aren’t they? “Ask and it will be given to you.” “For everyone who asks receives.”

What do you think Jesus is instructing us to ask for? What is he promising to give us? Are there some requests you think are too little for God to be bothered with? Are there some things you think God is too small to accomplish? Miracles? I often call on God when I am in a crisis, and after I have exhausted all other means of handling a difficult situation myself. Do you tend to limit your requests of God to times of emergency or desperation?

Psalm 55:16-19 says: “But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon, I cry out my distress, and he hears my voice.” What is the psalmist asking of God? What assurances does he trust in? When is God available?

Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on paying for all the saints.” What is Paul instructing us to do? When are we to pray? What types of prayers are we to approach God with? What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit?”

Romans 8:26-27 also references the Holy Spirit and prayer: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

What role does the Holy Spirit play in our prayers? What assurances are we being offered in this verse? How does God’s will play into the equation?
In the Lord’s prayer we ask: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?” We’ve studied this. What are we really asking for when we say this? Just before his arrest, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 27:39) “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” What level of trust is Jesus placing on the will of God?

1 John 5:13-15 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

Do you ever preface or end your requests of God by asking for His will to be done, trusting that what ever He chooses is for the ultimate good?

I wonder if we miss out on many of the blessings God wishes to shower on us; some of the prayers he wants to say “yes” to, because we never bother to ask? I wonder if we miss out on seeing God’s answers to prayers, because we place limits on what we’re expecting to receive from Him and on the timing of His response? What do you think?

Suggested Closing Prayer:
God, Give me the courage to pray more often, in all times, in all places, for big things and small things. Increase my faith so that I actually believe that nothing is impossible for you. I don’t want to miss out on a single blessing you desire to give me, my loved ones or this hurting world. Help me to trust in your will; trust that you know what is best. Open my eyes to all the times you say “yes” in answer to prayer, so that I can praise you. Don’t let me lose faith in those situations when the answer appears to be no; when the timing is not right, or when you have a different plan, an even better plan, that is impossible for me to understand at the moment. May your Spirit constantly guide and direct my requests. Work in me and through me to bring your desired kingdom to earth. In Christ’s Holy name I pray. Amen.

Day 2: Seek (Re-read Matthew 7:7-8)
Look at the second phrase in each verse: “seek and you will find;” and “he who seeks finds.” Who/what are we to seek and who/what will we find?

In an earlier lesson on “not worrying” (Matthew 6:33) we learned “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (food, drink, clothing,) will be given to you as well.”

Look at the following verses where the words “seek” and “find “ are used. Circle who or what we are to seek and find. Underline any other instruction given or benefits mentioned.

Deuteronomy 4:29 “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, be- cause anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

1 Chronicles 28:9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and under- stands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.

Psalm 105:4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek His face always.

Proverbs 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

Psalm 24:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple.”

Day 3: Knock (Re-read Matthew 7:7-8)
Got it memorized? Look at the third phrase: “knock and the door will be opened to you.” “And to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy goes to Oz to find help in getting home. She approaches a huge imposing door at the castle in OZ and knocks. And a loud voice booms out: “The wizard isn’t in. GO AWAY!”

Unlike the response Dorothy received, Jesus is promising us something different. “Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Imagine yourself approaching the door of the house of a dear friend. What kind of reception do you expect? Are you excited or anxious?
Imagine yourself approaching the door of a complete stranger. What thoughts, feelings, expectations come to mind now?

For me, it makes a huge difference if I know and trust the person behind the door. When Jesus tells me to knock and the door will be opened, how do I know if I will encounter a friend or stranger?

Friendships develop by investing time to get to know one another. Loving, trusting relationships don’t just happen. They require some intentionality. The same can be said about our relationship with God.

In Ephesians 1:17-19a, Paul prays: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

John 14:23, 26-27 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching, my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Excerpts from the book “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha world” (pg.72-73), articulate for me, the joy of knocking on the door and finding God, the author of love and friendship, on the other side.

He (Jesus) promised, “I will be here every morning early, meet with Me here and we will start the day together.” So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the drawing room and He would take a book of the Bible...open it and then we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold me its truths... They were wonderful hours together....It was a period when we had our Quiet time together...I started looking at (this quiet time) in a whole new way-not as a ritual, but as a relationship. And a relationship just doesn’t happen. It has to be nurtured, protected, and loved...The place at Jesus feet is a place where we can be comfortable, a place of transparency and vulnerability; a place where we are completely known yet completely loved. It is truly a place to call home.

Pray Psalm 25:4-5
“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

Day 4: The Heart of the Father (Read Matthew 7:9-11)
In this teaching, Jesus is showing us the heart of God the Father. He is reinforcing the invitation to come to God in prayer with our requests, trusting that God is kind and good and will bless us.

Read the following verses for more insights on the heart of the Father: Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Lamentations 3:22-25 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “the lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, the one who seeks Him.”

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, and will bring you back from captivity.” This promise was given through the Prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites while they were being held captive in exile in Babylon. Even in times of difficulty and hardship, God was offering his children hope and a future.

Are you enduring struggles and hardship? Have you experienced a time in life when you’ve been exiled or held captive: maybe by addiction; by depression; by bitterness/anger; by unforgiveness; by the need to be in control; by debt? Has your faith been held captive by doubts, skepticism, and unbelief?

God is offering us freedom, hope, grace, and countless other good gifts. We have only to reach out to Him in order to receive them. God doesn’t force Himself on anyone. He’s waiting for us to make the choice.

Pray that God would free you from what ever is standing in the way of a closer relationship with Him. Ask for him to give you strength if you are in a time of trouble. Ask God to increase your trust in him. Give thanks to God for the countless ways he has blessed you and His continued offer of grace.

Try living the remainder of this week with an attitude of gratitude.

Day 5: The Golden Rule (Read Matthew 7:12)
In this verse, Jesus is teaching the Golden Rule. He is asking us to step out and put the kingdom of God into action. We should treat others as we wish to be treated. And then he said that this command sums up all the Law and Prophets. The Pharisees, the religious leaders of this time, commanded the people to follow all the laws laid out in scripture, as well as countless other religious laws they had developed. There were so many rules it was impossible for anyone to keep them all. (Matthew 23: 1-7 & Luke11:46). Jesus was teaching something new. He was telling people about God’s intent; that at the heart of everything is love for one another. The love He speaks of is one of action.

1 John 3: 16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

John 15:9-17 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

1 John 4:7-8, 21 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love....And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

Loving one another may sound simple, but as my mom used to say, “The devil is in the details. Some things are easier said than done.” This is a command that we can only carry out, with God’s help. Ask Him today to grant you the courage, strength and power, to love as He loves.