Have you ever noticed how the biggest doors often swing on the smallest hinges? Take the word “ask” for instance. Three tiny letters that can change everything.
You see, tucked away in Matthew’s gospel is an invitation so simple that we might just miss its magnitude. Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
Do you see what I see? Those three words – Ask, Seek, Knock – they’re not just random verbs strung together. They’re a divine pattern, each beginning with that powerful little word: ASK. It’s as if God knew we’d need a reminder, so He gave it to us three times over.
Isn’t that just like our Father? Making the profound so wonderfully simple?
You know what fascinates me about this verse? There’s no asterisk. No fine print. No “terms and conditions apply.” Just a pure, simple invitation: Ask. Can you believe it? The God who hung the stars like Christmas lights invites us – yes, you and me – to simply ask.
“But surely,” you might be thinking, “this can’t be for everyone. Not for someone like me.” Friend, let me tell you something: God doesn’t have a VIP section in His throne room. The invitation is universal. The door is wide open. And your name is on the guest list.
So why don’t we ask? Perhaps we’ve forgotten how to pray with holy enthusiasm. You know, prayer isn’t meant to be a polite conversation at a formal dinner party. It’s meant to be a passionate pursuit of the Divine.
Let me share three ways to approach this divine invitation:
Ask Enthusiastically
Remember when your children were little? They didn’t just ask for things – they asked with their whole being! Eyes wide, hands gesturing, voice full of hope. That’s how James describes effective prayer: “tremendous power is released through passionate, heartfelt prayer by Godly believers!”
The enemy of our souls knows something we often forget: a believer who prays with passion is dangerous. Why? Because they might ask for:
- A hedge of protection around their family
- Fresh anointing for their children
- The courage to forgive that impossible-to-forgive person
- The salvation of their entire community
Seek Persistently
Have you ever lost your car keys? You don’t just look once and give up, do you? No, you keep looking until you find them. That’s the kind of seeking Jesus is talking about.
Want your marriage to flourish? Keep seeking. Want your business to thrive? Keep seeking. Want to experience God’s presence like never before? Keep seeking.
Knock Courageously
Here’s a beautiful truth from Hebrews: we can “come boldly to the throne of grace.” Not tip-toe. Not sneak. Come boldly! The door isn’t locked – it’s just waiting for your knock.
You know what’s amazing? Sometimes our boldest prayers come wrapped in our deepest fasts. Like Ezra, who called a fast before leading his people home. He knew something we often forget: prayer gets God’s attention, but fasting shows Him we mean business.
Jesus himself said some victories only come through prayer and fasting. Think about that. Some chains only break when we combine these two powerful keys. Some doors only open when we knock with both hands – one hand praying, the other fasting.
Those persistent demons of depression? They flee. That stubborn unforgiveness? It melts. That impossible situation? It changes.
Friend, maybe you’re standing at a door right now. Maybe you’ve knocked before, and nothing happened. Can I encourage you? Knock again. Ask again. Seek again.
Because here’s the beautiful truth: the God who invented persistence loves to reward it. The God who created asking delights in answering. And the God who holds all power awaits your simple prayer.
So go ahead. Ask. Seek. Knock.
The door is waiting. And so is He.
And remember – sometimes the biggest miracles start with the smallest words.
Just ask.
You know, prayer isn’t meant to be a polite conversation at a formal dinner party. It’s meant to be a passionate pursuit of the Divine.
