Mathew 7:7,8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and

you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For

everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and
to him who knocks it will be opened.” a. Ask… seek…
knock: We see a progressive intensity, going
from ask to seek to knock. Jesus told us to have intensity,
passion, and persistence in prayer. The fact that Jesus
came back to the subject of prayer – already dealt with in
some depth in Matthew 6:5-15
i. In this three-fold description of prayer
as asking, seeking, and knocking we see different aspects
of prayer and different aspects of its reward.
· Prayer is like asking in that we simply make our requests
known to God, and everyone who asks receives.
Receiving is the reward of asking.
· Prayer is like seeking in that we search after God, His
word, and His will; and he who seeks finds. Finding is the
reward of seeking.
· Prayer is like knocking until the door is opened, and we
seek entrance into the great heavenly palace of our
Great King. Entering through the opened door into His
palace is the reward of knocking, and the best reward of
all.
ii. “Ask with confidence and humility. Seek with care and
application. Knock with earnestness and perseverance.”
(Clarke)
iii. The idea of knocking also implies that we sense
resistance. After all, if the door were already open, there
would be no need to knock. Yet Jesus encouraged us,
“Even when you sense that the door is closed and you
must knock, then do so and continue to do so, and you
will be answered.”
iv. Yet the image of knocking also implies that there is a
door that can be opened. “His doors are meant to open:
they were made on purpose for entrance; and so the
blessed gospel of God is made on purpose for you to
enter into life and peace. It would be of no use to knock
at a wall, but you may wisely knock at a door, for it is
arranged for opening.” (Spurgeon)
v. We come to God’s door and all we must do is knock. If
it were locked against us we would need a burglar’s tools
to break in, but that isn’t necessary; all we must do
is knock, and even if I don’t have a burglar’s skills I can
still knock – I know enough to do that!
vi. “Any uneducated man can knock if that is all, which is
required of him…A man can knock though he may be no
philosopher A dumb man can knock. A blind man can
knock. With a palsied hand a man may knock…The way to
open heaven’s gate is wonderfully simplified to those
who are lowly enough to follow the Holy Spirit’s
guidance, and ask, seek, and knock believingly. God has
not provided a salvation which can only be understood
by learned men…it is intended for the ignorant, the
short-witted, and the dying, as well as for others, and
hence it must be as plain as knocking at a door.”
(Spurgeon)
b. Ask and it will be given to you: God promises an
answer to the one who diligently seeks Him. Many of our
passionless prayers are not answered for good reason,
because it is almost as if we ask God to care about
something we care little or nothing about.
i. God values persistence and passion in prayer because
they show that we share His heart. It shows that we care
about the things He cares about. Persistent prayer does
not overcome God’s stubborn reluctance; it gives glory to
Him, expresses dependence upon Him, and aligns our
heart more with His.
ii. “No soul can pray in vain that prays as directed above.
The truth and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus are pledged
for its success.- Ye SHALL receive – ye SHALL find – it
SHALL be opened. These words are as strongly binding on
the side of God, as thou shalt do no murder is on the side
of man. Bring Christ’s word, and Christ’s sacrifice with
thee, and not one of Heaven’s blessings can be denied
thee.” (Clarke)
once again we see Rev 3:7vThese are the words of him
who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What
he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can
open.
Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered
me from all my fears.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the
desires of your heart.

Isaiah 30:19
O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep
no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for
help; when He hears, He will answer you.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me
with all your heart.

Matthew 7:11
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your Father which is
in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing,
ye shall receive.
1 Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by
night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing,
ye shall receive.
1 Kings 3:5
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by
night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
seek.
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
Psalm 10:4
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Psalm 27:8
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto
thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
David knew the Lord wanted him to seek His face. In fact,
this is God's desire for all people: the word translated
"seek" from the original Hebrew of this verse is
addressed to a group of people, not just one person.

To "seek God's face" is to strongly desire His presence

and blessing. David responded to the Lord's invitation
wholeheartedly. Perhaps, as David wrote Psalm 27, he
recalled the Lord's words in Deuteronomy 4:29, 31: "You
will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you
search after him with all your heart and with all your
soul…For the LORD your God is a merciful God, He will
not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with
your fathers that he swore to them."

In Jeremiah 29:13 the Lord promises: "You will seek me

and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Our
prayers for an awareness of the Lord's presence and
blessings must never be halfhearted or complacent. We
must pray fervently with the whole heart and in faith
(James 1:5–8; 5:16).
You have to put something in to get something out
Couple of na sayings keep coming back
Like Luke 18 1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to
show them that they should always pray and not give
up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who
neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And
there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him
with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to
himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what
people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering
me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t
eventually come and attack me!’”
6
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge
says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen
ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep
putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get
justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of
Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”