Matthew 7:7‭-‬12 Ask, Seek and Knock

"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.  Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!   "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. [Matthew 7:7‭-‬12 NASB]

God is good. It is in His nature to give good things to His children. There is a cliche that says, "God gives us what we need, not what we want." I think this is true, but gives the wrong impression. God will give us the good things we need, and He will not stop us from getting the things we want - even if it is to our own detriment.

There are some basic needs - food, clothing, shelter, love - God will provide a way for us to gain these things. There are other things we want that are not harmful in themselves - cars, televisions, cell phones, computers - God allows us to work and acquire these things. There are things that are bad for us - alcohol, drugs, pornography - Although it breaks His heart, God will not prevent us getting these things.

Sometimes we blame God for not giving us the things that we want. James says, "...You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." [James 4:2-3 NASB]

I have heard it said that the new "American dream" is to win the lotto. How many times have you prayed that God would give you the right numbers before marking the card? And when you don't win, you blame God for not answering your prayer. After all "Ask, and it will be given to you." This is a classic example of asking with the wrong motives.

It is in our nature to think in terms of material need. I have personally experienced God's provision in times of financial need. I can testify to His giving nature. God loves us, and it gives Him pleasure to provide for His children.

But don't think that prayer is all about asking for things. Remember what Jesus has just previously said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 NASB]

Leaving behind the things of the flesh, let's move on to better things. He said, "Ask, and it will be given to you." If you ask for salvation, He will save you. If you ask for His Spirit, He will fill you. He said "seek, and you will find." Seek His kingdom and you will find it inside yourself and all around you. Seek righteousness, and He will make you righteous by sharing with us His righteousness. He said, "to him who knocks it will be opened." Knock, and He will open the gates of the kingdom to you.

Ask, seek and knock. When you ask, be sure you are asking the right person (That would be God) for the right things. You will find whatever you seek, whether that be freedom in the kingdom of God or slavery to material possession, or drugs and alcohol. When you knock, be sure you are knocking on the right gate. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." [Matthew 7:13-14 NASB]