Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find.
Jesus' promise about prayer — three verbs, one invitation.
The episode in a glance.
- 01'Ask' — prayer starts with request.
- 02'Seek' — it continues with pursuit.
- 03'Knock' — it persists until the door opens.
- 04The promise is that God responds to those who come.
Read along.
Matthew 7:7 — 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.' This is one of the most direct promises Jesus makes about prayer.
'Ask.' Prayer starts with request. Not performance. Not eloquence. Just ask. Bring your need. Name it. Don't pretend you have it handled. Ask.
'Seek.' Some things don't come just because you asked once. They require pursuit. Searching. Looking. The promise is: if you seek, you will find. Not maybe. Will.
'Knock.' Persistence matters. The door doesn't always open on the first knock. Sometimes you have to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. And the promise is: it will be opened.
'For everyone who asks receives.' This isn't a guarantee of every specific wish. It's a guarantee that God responds to those who come to him. The ones who ask, seek, and knock don't go away empty.