Thursday 22 February 2018

Asking, seeking, and knocking - with confidence


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, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 good things to those who ask Him! – Matthew 7.7-11

Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open. If you ask you get and if you seek you find and you knock the door will open.

What a blessed prayer promise. It looks like if we want something all we have to do is keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.

In a general way that is true. As we keep asking and seeking and knocking God does hear and answer our prayers. But the passage does not end there. It goes on to say that this is based our Father knows what it going best for us. He knows how to give the good things to those who ask Him. The good things.

We can keep asking and seeking and knocking with full assurance that God will keep giving and keep allowing us to find and keep opening according, not to what we think is best, but according to what He knows is best. That ought to give us great joy to know that he will not give what will harm us, He will not let us find which is bad for us, and He will not open doors that are dangerous for us in response.

So we can pray for what we need or want with full confidence. If it is the right thing for us He will give it, if not He will spare us.

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