"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” -Matthew 7:7-8
Lately I've begun to look at this verse in a different light. If we look closely we can see that there is more than meets the eye here. For starters what Jesus is telling us is simple; be persistent in seeking God and He will answer you. Second notice the use of certain action words (verbs) that stand out "ask", "seek", and "knock". To ask we use our mouths, if it's prayer we use our hearts as well. To seek we use our eyes, and even our ears can help us do this. To knock however involves our hands and feet, in that one must walk to the door before they can knock on the door.
I see a living, active, and persistent prayer life here. A prayer life that refuses to remain in the closet but instead moves out to seek for the answer to their prayers. A prayer life that goes door to door knocking and turning doorknobs. You see a living prayer life will start on our knees but it will end on our feet, we ask on our knees but knock on our feet. I believe in many cases God hesitates from answering our prayers till we get up and start walking and knocking, because He wants to use us as part of the answer to our prayers. Somebody once said "don't pray for what you're not willing to work for", In other words, don't pray for things you're not willing to be a part of the answer to. Let me give you an example, about a decade ago we were living in San Bernardino CA and the Lord had already told me to move back to Yuma and that He would provide for me and my family there. Well not long after that I printed out about 21 resumes and drove down to Yuma, prayed, and dropped them off at every medical clinic that I could find. Soon I was hired and I remained at this job close to a decade as well.
What is my point? My point is this; though I knew God was going to provide for me and my family in Yuma, I also knew that He was gonna use me to do it. So instead of sitting on my butt in California with my hands crossed just waiting on God I moved from merely asking to "seeking and knocking".
We even see this principle in Jesus' prayer life. He told Peter in Luke 22 "Simon, Simon Satan has asked that he may sIft you as wheat" but don't worry I've prayed for you that your faith should not fail. In other words Satan wants to punch ya'lls face in but don't worry I've prayed for you! LOL
Jesus started with prayer but His prayers moved Him to the cross. Satan was gonna punch their face in but Jesus was gonna crush his head! And He did this by not just praying for them but by becoming a part of the answer to that prayer. Jesus died and He rose again from the grave conquering death, sin, and the enemy. He didn't stop there He ascended to heaven, is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and is continuing to intercede for all of us now. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit down in power to enable Peter to fulfill His prayer for him that his faith would not fail but that it may be stronger so he could strengthen the rest of the disciples. We see the fulfillment of this in Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon Peter and he preached Christ boldly instead of denying him as before when the enemy was shaking his faith. Let your prayers move you and remember knocking is done with our hands and feet!
I see a living, active, and persistent prayer life here. A prayer life that refuses to remain in the closet but instead moves out to seek for the answer to their prayers. A prayer life that goes door to door knocking and turning doorknobs. You see a living prayer life will start on our knees but it will end on our feet, we ask on our knees but knock on our feet. I believe in many cases God hesitates from answering our prayers till we get up and start walking and knocking, because He wants to use us as part of the answer to our prayers. Somebody once said "don't pray for what you're not willing to work for", In other words, don't pray for things you're not willing to be a part of the answer to. Let me give you an example, about a decade ago we were living in San Bernardino CA and the Lord had already told me to move back to Yuma and that He would provide for me and my family there. Well not long after that I printed out about 21 resumes and drove down to Yuma, prayed, and dropped them off at every medical clinic that I could find. Soon I was hired and I remained at this job close to a decade as well.
What is my point? My point is this; though I knew God was going to provide for me and my family in Yuma, I also knew that He was gonna use me to do it. So instead of sitting on my butt in California with my hands crossed just waiting on God I moved from merely asking to "seeking and knocking".
We even see this principle in Jesus' prayer life. He told Peter in Luke 22 "Simon, Simon Satan has asked that he may sIft you as wheat" but don't worry I've prayed for you that your faith should not fail. In other words Satan wants to punch ya'lls face in but don't worry I've prayed for you! LOL
Jesus started with prayer but His prayers moved Him to the cross. Satan was gonna punch their face in but Jesus was gonna crush his head! And He did this by not just praying for them but by becoming a part of the answer to that prayer. Jesus died and He rose again from the grave conquering death, sin, and the enemy. He didn't stop there He ascended to heaven, is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and is continuing to intercede for all of us now. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit down in power to enable Peter to fulfill His prayer for him that his faith would not fail but that it may be stronger so he could strengthen the rest of the disciples. We see the fulfillment of this in Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon Peter and he preached Christ boldly instead of denying him as before when the enemy was shaking his faith. Let your prayers move you and remember knocking is done with our hands and feet!
- FIND OUT TODAY IF PERHAPS GOD IS HESITATING TO ANSWER YOUR PRAYER/S BECAUSE HE IS WANTING TO USE YOU AS A PART OF THE ANSWER TO THEM.
- "Don't ask God to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet." -?