Matthew 7:7-8 - Ask, Seek And Knock To Receive, Find and Open.
Matthew 7:7-8: Ask, Seek And Knock To Receive, Find and Open.
Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
COMMENTARY PEARL
I have made a commitment to pray more than ever, and I hope
you will join me. Prayer is the greatest privilege that we have.
Prayer makes all things possible! God's Word teaches us that we have
not because we ask not (see James 4:2). It is tragic indeed to miss
out on the immense benefits that prayer provides simply because we
fail to take the time to ask.
My desire is to "pray my way through the day." It is another
way of saying what the apostle Paul said, which is "Pray without
ceasing" (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17). This does not mean that I intend to
stay on my knees all day or sit somewhere with folded hands praying
all day. I simply desire to understand that all failure is a prayer
failure and to be wise enough to invite the Lord to help me with each
thing I do.
The Bible says in Ephesians 6:18 that we should "pray at all
times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all
[manner of] prayer." Forming the habit of doing so will open the door to
more victory and breakthrough than we can imagine. I don't want to
miss any more opportunities to see God's amazing power manifested in
my life, and I am sure you don't either, so please join me in
discovering the power of simple prayer!
Dear Father, I commit to praying my way through the day, and
as I begin, I ask for Your help. I am praying that You will help me
pray! Teach me the vital importance of talking with You about
everything. [My Time with God by Joyce Meyer]
COMMENTARY
Why does Christ include this exhortation on prayer at this point
in the sermon on the mount? Because it is so difficult for us, in
our own power and wisdom, to obey the commands He has given. If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, says James 1:5,
echoing what Jesus says here. The believer who seeks to obey the Word of
God must constantly ask for strength, seek wisdom, and knock at
Gods door for the supply of grace needed. [Wiersbe Expository
Outlines]
The Lord's entire sermon had dealt with the righteousness of
life as expected from men by God. A great and hard lesson, demanding
more strength than any man, even the most earnest Christian,
possesses by nature and after conversion. But He from whom all spiritual
strength must come is willing to help our infirmities, if we but approach
Him with persistent supplication. Jesus piles up the verbs for the
sake of emphasis; He builds up a double climax in order to teach men
always to pray and not to grow faint, to be importunate in pleading,
Luke 18:1; 11:5-10. To the mere asking must be added an eager
seeking, and this must be supplemented with a persistent knocking. Such
methods cannot fail; the promises of God are too plain. God will hear,
He will give. He will let us find. He will open unto us. It may not
always be at just the time and in just the manner which we think best,
but it will, in the end, always prove the best. Only, note the
repetition: "Ask," in all humility, but with firm confidence; "seek," with
untiring application, but also with painstaking care; "knock," with both
earnestness and perseverance. Every one, he says, shall receive if he will
but come as a child to its father. [Popular Commentary of the
Bible]
This is the natural behavior of mature sons and daughters.
Even though a father knows all the needs of his children, they do not
hesitate to continually ask (mouth), seek (eyes), and knock (hands). This
recognition and confession of comprehensive dependence - oral, visual,
tactile - is pleasing to the father. And so it is with our heavenly
Father, for through prayer we express our complete dependence on Him. He
answers in kind with speaking, displaying, and touching - all
revelation, which is given, found, and opened. The three verbs presuppose
familiarity; we rarely ask, seek, or knock on the doors of strangers.
The respective promises are receiving, finding, and having
doors opened. [Exegetical Commentary]
People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and
conclude that God cannot be found. But knowing God takes faith, focus,
and follow-through, and Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded.
Dont give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask him for
more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding. He will
give them to you. [Life Application SB]
If we take counsel with our doubts and fears, or try to solve
everything that we cannot see clearly, before we have faith, perplexities
will only increase and deepen. But if we come to God, feeling
helpless and dependent, as we really are, and in humble, trusting faith
make known our wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees
everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He
can and will attend to our cry, and will let light shine into our
hearts. SC95-7
When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the
promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive
the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be
answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is
presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing
from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to trust Him, even
though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely upon
His sure promise, "Ask, and it shall be given you." SC95-7
God will always answer our prayers; but he will answer them in
his way, and his way will be the way of perfect wisdom and of
perfect love. Often if he answered our prayers as we at the moment
desired it would be the worst thing possible for us, for in our
ignorance we often ask for gifts which would be our ruin. This saying of
Jesus tells us, not only that God will answer, but that God will
answer in wisdom and in love. [Barclay Commentary]
ILLUSTRATION
We know of a place in England still existing, where a dole of
bread is served to every passerby who chooses to ask for it. Whoever
the traveller may be, he has but to knock at the door of St. Cross
Hospital, and there is the dole of bread for him. Jesus Christ so loveth
sinners that he has built a St. Cross Hospital, so that whenever a
sinner is hungry, he has but to knock and have his wants supplied. Nay,
he has done better; he has attached to this Hospital of the Cross a
bath; and whenever a soul is black and filthy, it has but to go there
and be washed. The fountain is always full, always efficacious. No
sinner ever went into it and found that it could not wash away his
stains. Sins which were scarlet and crimson have all disappeared, and
the sinner has been whiter than snow. As if this were not enough,
there is attached to this Hospital of the Cross a wardrobe, and a
sinner making application simply as a sinner, may be clothed from head
to foot; and if he wishes to be a soldier, he may not merely have a
garment for ordinary wear, but armour which shall cover him from the
sole of his foot to the crown of his head. If he asks for a sword, he
shall have that given to him, and a shield too. Nothing that is good
for him shall be denied him. He shall have spending-money so long as
he lives, and he shall have an eternal heritage of glorious
treasure when he enters into the joy of his Lord.
If all these things are to be had by merely knocking at
mercys door, O my soul, knock hard this morning, and ask large things
of thy generous Lord. Leave not the throne of grace till all thy
wants have been spread before the Lord, and until by faith thou hast a
comfortable prospect that they shall be all supplied. No bashfulness need
retard when Jesus invites. No unbelief should hinder when Jesus
promises. No cold-heartedness should restrain when such blessings are to
be obtained. [Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
I am a God who heals. I heal broken bodies, broken minds,
broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships. My very Presence
has immense healing powers. You cannot live close to Me without
experiencing some degree of healing. However, it is also true that you have
not because you ask not. You receive the healing that flows
naturally from My Presence, whether you seek it or not. But there is more
- much more - available to those who ask.
The first step in receiving healing is to live ever so close
to Me. The benefits of this practice are too numerous to list. As
you grow more and more intimate with Me, I reveal My will to you
more directly. When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for
healing of some brokenness in you or in another person. The healing may
be instantaneous, or it may be a process. That is up to Me. Your
part is to trust Me fully and to thank Me for the restoration that
has begun.
I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person's life. Even My
servant Paul was told, "My grace is sufficient for you," when he sought
healing for the thorn in his flesh. Nonetheless, much healing is
available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with Mine. Ask,
and you will receive. (Psa. 103:3; Jam. 4:2; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; Mat. 7:7
[Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
