Scriptures: Matthew 7: 7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
How can we pray effectively? How can we pray that will bring answer from God? We must pray according to the principles laid out by God Himself in the Holy Scripture. These principles do not concern about outward things, such as where and when we should pray or what we should say in our prayers, etc, but about inward things, such as the state or attitude of our heart when we pray.
One of the most important principles of prayer is ask, seek and knock. This principle was declared by the Lord Jesus Himself when He said, “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.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Asking, seeking and knocking are three different states or attitudes of the heart that we must have when we pray to God.
1. Ask.
Asking implies dependence. Like little children who depends on their parents for everything, we depend on God for everything. When we ask something from God, it means we acknowledge that we cannot get it by ourselves and only God can give it to us.
2. Seeking.
Seeking implies desire. When little children ask for something they really want, they ask with a strong desire. Likewise, when we ask something from God, we should not just ask, but we should ask it with a strong desire.
3. Knocking.
Knocking implies perseverance. When we knock on the heaven’s door, we will not stop until it is open for us. We will keep on asking until we receive what we ask for.
In applying this principle of asking, seeking and knocking, we must not do it to force our will to God it is not as a form, but rather as a response to the generous and loving heart of God. The Lord Jesus said, “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 7:9-11)
This principle of asking, seeking and knocking principle will be even more powerful if we apply it according to the will of God. We do not pray for our will but for the will of God to be done in us. If we pray according to the will of God, we will have an assurance in our heart that we have received what we have prayed for before we actually receive it (1 John 5: 14-15)