“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 (NIV) Jesus is trying to tell us that the Father wants to give us good things. But he also wants us to ask, seek and knock. Why does he want us to pursue our requests like this if he already knows what we need? One reason is that he is waiting for us to acknowledge our need and our dependence on him. If he just gave us our desires without us asking we would not learn this dependence. Also, there are spiritual barriers in the spiritual realm that we do not understand and our prayers have the power to break through barriers. It is part of the dignity and authority that God has given to humans. Therefore, we are to diligently ask, seek and knock and be confident that we will receive and find. This may mean trying several different avenues, asking wise people, and doing some reading. The more difficult the matter is, the more seeking and knocking we may have to do. Some matters may even take years. But God will honor our diligence.
