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 – NAS)


This seems so simple and straightforward. And surprisingly wonderful. Jesus says this is true, so surely it must be.

Why then do we find it so hard to “make it work” in our lives? We feel that we have been asking and asking for something, and nothing has happened. We seek for something and don’t find it. We knock on metaphorical doors and never find a sign of life. How can it be as simple as Jesus says it is?

When we ask things of God our Father, what is it that we have in mind? What do we ask for? And how are we doing the asking?


I ask that God provide for my living expenses, for my rent and my food. Jesus says that what we ask for we will be given. What I trip over is that what God gives to me never appears in the form I’m expecting of it. When I ask God to provide for me, in the back of my mind I’m actually thinking of wanting some regular income so I don’t even have to think about how I will paying the rent this month. But that isn’t what I asked of God. Why then am I surprised when God’s providence comes from some unexpected direction?


It would seem then, that on the one hand, we ask in too vague a manner, leaving God at a loss as to how to address our request. What did we really want to ask for?

I think we often fear to be too specific because we want to “leave God room” to do the unexpected. But in doing that, we end up muffling what our request is. Or, we try to be humble about what we are asking, and so we do not ask for what is really on our hearts but rather for some pale, feeble version of our desire.

Let us remember that we are speaking to a Divine Father who in fact already knows what is in our hearts. What is He thinking when He hears our watered down requests instead of our heart’s desires? He knows we don’t really want what we’ve asked for, we want something bigger, better. And so He waits for us to speak from our real desire, to ask for what we really want.

The same dynamic comes into play when we seek after things. How earnestly are we seeking? Do we even know what we want to find at the end of our questing? Will we recognize it when we come to it?

And knocking on doors? Are we really doing that, or are we just tapping on the door once in passing? Do we really want to enter in through the door? And are we actually even knocking at a door? I’ve long taken a sarcastic perspective on “knocking on doors,” because, as I like to say, I wonder if we are even always knocking on a door. Perhaps the “door” isn’t opening because what we are knocking on is a wall, and the door itself is standing wide open just a few paces away. But because we are stubborn creatures, we continue knocking on the surface in front of us.

So I do think that our perspectives and honesty do affect how well God can answer us when we ask, seek and knock. I think some of these conditions do matter in how we interact with the Lord when we come before Him.

And yet, the simplicity of Jesus’ statement remains. He does not elaborate. He does not put conditions on the actions. The declaration stands there boldly, un-garnished, uncluttered, direct.

Ask, and it shall be given to you.

Seek, and you shall find.

Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Everyone who asks will receive.

He who seeks, will find.

To those who knock, the door will be opened.

Jesus really wants to get these points across, so He says each of them twice.

Does our doubt and unbelief get in the way of following through on these promises? I think it does. We don’t believe it could be this simple. Jesus will remind us about the context in the next set of verses, once again telling us that we are dealing with a loving Father.

Ask, seek, knock.

Are we honest enough to ask for what we really desire? Are we clear enough on our goals that we know exactly what we are seeking? Are we bold enough to knock on the door once we find it?

We are the Children of the Lord. If we are earnestly trying to be His people, what do we fear when faced with this loving opportunity for interaction that He gives us?

Be bold and approach the Father: ask, seek, knock.