“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” – Luke 11:9
Self-examination is never fun for me. If I do it honestly, I find so much that needs improvement. I struggle with pride, so even when it is me doing the critical evaluating, my illuminations often discomfort me. But properly done, self-examination can be extremely beneficial, especially in one’s spiritual life.
I have a plaque that is a constant reminder to examine my prayer life. It reads “Faith is not knowing that God can, it is believing that God will.” I sometimes live in the “God can…” world. That means that while I know God is perfectly capable of doing anything, I am not always convinced that He will, thus I become passive in my prayer life. Not a good place to be. I have to be reminded frequently that I cannot be double minded in my faith. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8) Today’s verse was another gentle reminder of how easily I can return to my “God can..” world.
Do I ask, or do I just hope?
- Hoping means I am crossing my fingers and wishing something will happen.
- Asking means I am praying to my heavenly Father and sharing my desires with Him.
- Hoping is passive; asking is active.
Do I seek, or do I just expect?
- Expecting means I assume something will happen without my intervention.
- Seeking means I am actively involved in getting an answer or solving a problem.
- Expecting is passive; seeking is active.
Do I knock, or do I just wait?
- Waiting means I am doing nothing but anticipating someone to let me in.
- Knocking means I am telling someone that I am present and eager to enter.
- Waiting is passive; knocking is active.
If I want results, I must be actively engaged in my Christian walk. This means that I must have an active prayer life. I must go before my heavenly Father and share all this is on my heart, trusting Him to act. I must not doubt His intervention, but I must know He will answer me. (That doesn’t mean He will answer as I want, but He will answer in the way that is best for all concerned and according to His perfect will. Therefore, I must…
- ASK – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13
- SEEK – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
- KNOCK – “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Luke 11:10
If I never ask, seek, or knock, how can I expect God to answer, reveal, or open?
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu Alleluia
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and it shall be opened unto you
Allelu Alleluia
(from “Seek Ye First” by Karen Lafferty)
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20
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No where does it say “God might answer” or “you might find” or “it might be opened.” Trust His Word; if He says it will happen, it will happen!