“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). In this passage 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. Breaking these barriers is part of the dignity and authority God has given to humans, so he promises, “Seek and you will find.” He wants us to learn to be mature spiritual people who can achieve spiritual victories and goals as we walk with God.
Yet, as always, Jesus is offering these promises to those who abide in him. Many people ask, seek and knock without abiding in Christ, so they should not be surprised if their efforts are not rewarded. And even if we are abiding in Christ, God’s will trumps our desires, so he does not always give, reveal or open things to us when we ask. But we should still have faith that he will answer our prayers because we are his children, but he is a parent, not a heavenly dispensing machine.
Therefore, we are to diligently and confidently ask, and you will receive, seek and you will find, like a child asking for something good from their father. 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. Jesus instructed us to ask, seek and knock, so we comply and learn how to walk in him.
