“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7
One of the most remarkable qualities and characteristics of the word of God is that it is fathomless in meaning, yet perfectly applicable to one’s life on this earth, and that which will be in heaven. What do we mean by this? A simple command, in fact, every simple command is the call of God to the individual heart to know Him. It is a call to faith, to believe Him to work exactly as He has promised. However, one of the major problems we have with this way of faith, is that we seek to understand His ways fully when it is impossible to do so. We can only know God in the measure that He desires to reveal Himself to the heart. So, taking a simple command like, “Ask, and it shall be given you,” is a call to know Him. God’s answer to the call is certain, though perhaps not fully understood. The second thing is that we must look to Him alone, and fully, to answer that prayer as he deems best. There are those who think that, if God’s answer does not conform to their expectations, that He has not answered. Many have been the believers who have been disappointed in their prayer life because they in essence, put God in a box, limit His working to the extent of their understanding. And yet, the Scriptures declare that, “…He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Eph. 3:20) Although God will do His will whether we are able to understand His work or not, it is not our place to limit him by the limits of our reasoning, but give Him the full range of blessing that He desires to give. The third thing is that God calls us to not only pray, but to truly believe, to live in the expectation of Him working wonderfully. The man who believes is the one who waits on God, trusting Him according to His word, believing the Lord’s words expressed in the Gospel of Mark: “…and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which He saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” (11:23) The Lord Jesus goes on to summarize the matter by saying, “…believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (v.24) This is true prayer.
The first great certainty by which we can know God is this: “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Why is this commandment so thrilling? It is because of the promise associated with it: “For EVERYONE that asketh receiveth.” (Matt. 7:8) God will always answer if we ask. It is often “according to our faith,” but also according to what our knowledge of His will is. God calls us to commit all to Him, trust Him to guide, and confirm His will to our hearts by the peace that He gives, and this for the glory of God.
The second great certainty is that of seeking God, and finding Him. Again, the great assurance that is attached to this command is expressed in the promise: “…and ye shall find.” Faith is never stagnant, it is always quietly, steadily moving forward. The believer actively seeks God, with the certainty that God will, in His own wonderful way, according to His wisdom and grace, enable us to “FIND” Him, come to know the reality of His presence. Many a Christian does not know God to the extent that God desires because God is not sought. The call to personally know God is to every believer.
The third great certainty is that of “knocking.” Knocking is a tangible form of seeking, and it has to do with reaching out, stretching forth our hand, to discover God’s opportunities. It is a venturing forth, the specific seeking in prayer of God’s “open door” to worship and serve. Knocking means expecting God to open.
Dear Father, Lead us to Thyself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.