Ask, Seek and Knock

Todays devotion will be about this bible verse ask, seek and knock. We will start with by reading in Matthew 7:7-12

“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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:7-12 NIV

Is this really as simple as it says it is? Well, it can be but there’s so much more to it. 

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”   Hebrews 11:6 NIV

Earnestly meaning-doing something serious, sincere or heartfelt

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”   Matthew 6:33 NIV

Did you notice in these two verses are saying we need to believe, reach out to him, be sincere, and seek his kingdom and his righteousness and then we would receive what we need? 

There’s something we need to consider. What is our relationship with God like? Do we put him first? Are we obeying him? Do we pray enough or are we asking the right thing? Are we reading our bible?

Lets jump into few stories of people asking God for help. 

Solomon-

“Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” 1 Kings 3:3 NIV

When he went to town of Gibeon , he offered sacrifices to the altar to God. God came to him in his dream and said ask anything you want.  

“Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.” 1 Kings 3:6 NIV

“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to  between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.” 1 Kings 3:9-13 NIV

Solomon loved God. Do you notice when God told him that he can have anything and ask what do you want? The first thing Solomon did was to praise him. Then he told God he wants to be able to tell from right and wrong to be able to govern his people correctly. So basically he asked for wisdom. He could’ve had anything. He didn’t ask for money, long life or anything fancy but asked for wisdom to be able to govern God’s people correctly. 

Esther–

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”” Esther 4:15-16 NIV

What Esther did was very brave. She knew her God would provide her strength to go through that.  If you don’t know the story, she is a Jew and her people were fixing to get killed and she needed to tell the King that Haman wanted to kill the Jews and that if the king agrees with Haman, her people would be killed and being a Jew herself would be as well. She asked the king to spare them. The king loved Esther and did what she asked. Haman was later killed. 

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”  1 John 5:14–15 NIV

Jesus–

 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” Luke 22:42-43 NIV

Do you noticed this part where Jesus was praying to God, “he said not my will but yours be done”? That is, Jesus putting God first before him. It was then God sent his angel to give him the strengthened that he needed. 

Do you remember the “Lord’s Prayer”? Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. Im not going to read the whole thing but I want to point out this part. 

““This,  is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

Your kingdom come, your will be done.  Jesus put God first again here. 

My Story – 

I remember this one time , this was few months after Rob and I just got married. We were young and money was tight sometimes. I was working on bills and I remember that it came down to the church tithe and phone bill (this was the landline phone , we didn’t have cell phones at that time). I was like we needed to pay this phone bill off , it was due in a week, but that would bring the tithe money less than 10 percent. Rob taught me early on the importance of tithing and that should be first. So I remember standing over the island and I looked at the bill that was due soon. So I started to pray and I asked God to help us. I told God that I would honor putting the tithe first and I asked that he help and provide the cost for the phone bill whatever that may be and that I completely trust him.  So I paid the church first. A couple days later I got what I thought was insurance bill but it was a refund from the insurance for the same price that the phone bill was. 

Was that a coincidence? No. God will provide.

As you see in all these stories, there was something in each one, such as praising God, being thankful for him, loving him, trusting in him completely , putting him first, putting his church first…. It all points back to God. Here’s the point.

PUT GOD FIRST-

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33 NIV

SUMIT TO HIM-

….in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV

ALWAYS GIVE THANKS-

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6 NIV

PRAY ALWAYS AND CONTINUALLY  –

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

HAVE FAITH AND TRUST WHOLEHEARLY – 

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.””     Matthew 21:22 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”        Proverbs 3:5

BE PATIENT –  

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him:,”  Psalms 37:7 NIV

Remember there will be a time when we may not get answers we needed right away but keep praying. There may be a time when the answers are not what we are expecting but keep trusting in him. He will Provide! He will take care of us. Do not be discouraged. Keep seeking him. 

Conclusion-

Let me give you one last example.  Last Christmas my daughter , she gave me a letter as one of my Christmas gifts which turned out to be my favorite gift. She pointed out how she was thankful she was that I’m her mom and that she appreciated me and told me how she loves me. That meant the world to me.

That’s what God wants from each one of us. Our Heavenly Father , wants you to pray that letter to him. Does that makes sense? He wants us to want to have relationship with him. He wants us to be thankful. He wants us to seek him wholeheartly and put him first in your life. Seek his will. 

He loves us so much that he sent his only son to die on cross for us so that we may have salvation to be with him one day. There’s no greater love than that. He deserve our best in everything. 

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 NIV

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”   Matthew 6:33 NIV

Praying for you today!