Luke 11-12

November 1

Luke 11-12

"“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. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10, NIV)

Ask, seek, knock. Each of these words gives the image of someone pursuing something. When we ask, we want answers or we want someone to do something for us. We are pursuing something into which someone else can give us insight or can provide for us.

God wants us to ask for our wants, our needs, and our desires. Everyone who asks receives. He does not say we receive what we ask for, but we receive. Verse 13 says if we are evil and know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. I believe that if we ask for something that will bring us harm, God does not give us what will harm us, but gives us what will bring us benefit in the end.

Seeking involves looking for something. God wants us to seek Him, but He also wants us to seek His desires for our lives. God does not run and hide from us. He is not playing hide and seek. He wants us to pursue Him, but He is not running from us. The seeking is our part to play in pursuing God’s will for our lives. We have to discover God’s will and how He created us. We have to seek knowledge of ourselves, so we can seek God’s direction in our lives. Seeking helps shape us and prepare us for what God has prepared for our lives. If we seek, we will find. God wants us to discover Him and His will and direction for our lives.

Knocking is what we do when we desire entrance into a door that is closed. God wants us to knock on the door. He wants us to seek entrance. Some doors in our lives seem like they are closed and locked and there is no possible way we can enter. But if we knock, God may open that door for us. There are many doors in our lives that we cannot open, but God can. It never hurts to knock. Too often, we do not have our wants, needs, and desires because we have been too timid to knock. If we knock the door will be opened.

God wants us to actively pursue our wants, needs, and desires as we come to Him as His children in need. He wants a relationship with us and wants what is best for us. He created us and as a plan for our lives. We get to participate with Him in revealing His Kingdom on earth. So ask, seek, and knock until you hear yes, no, or wait. He will respond.