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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
The importance of persistent prayer
How important is prayer to you? Where does prayer rank as a priority in your life?
A simple way to answer these two questions is by answering the following question. Is prayer your first response or last resort when it comes to needs and crises in your life?
Many might say it’s the first response but their lives indicate otherwise. When prayer is the first response, it’s because of assurance in our heart the Father knows our needs before we even pray.
Even when it’s the first response our faith may seem weak and we may give up on prayer unless we are confident in God’s answer to our prayers.
I’ve prayed for many people and about many situations in life. Many of those prayers were answered over an extended period of time. Sometimes my prayer was answered or the outcome was different than I wanted or expected.
The need for extended prayer can be hard to determine. How do you know when you’ve given your prayers enough time? Is there a point where you should stop praying or give up?
I don’t know an answer to cover all situations but I can share my own perspective on this.
I’ve prayed for many people to be healed. I have two friends who had terminal illnesses with two different outcomes. One close friend was diagnosed with a debilitative, progressive, and terminal disease. Many close friends prayed and even fasted for this brother in the Lord.
After nearly a year, this brother was healed at the point of the disease’s progression. It stopped its progression and he is still alive and serving the Lord almost two decades later.
Another close friend, a sister in the Lord, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We prayed, fasted, laid hands on her as the Bible says (James 5:14), and continued to pray for her for many months. A few people encouraged her with specific words from the Lord about being healed. But the Lord still took her home.
I’ve learned to keep praying—to persist in prayer—until God answers in one way or another (Luke 18:1; 1 Thess 5:17 NIV).
I believe in persistent prayer.
Insights to consider
One of the keys to understanding prayer is the simplicity of verse 7:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7 NIV84)
These three simple words express a progressive and continuous pursuit of God. This continuous and progressive approach to praying displays intensity and persistence in prayer.
This persistence in prayer and assurance of an answer is reinforced in verse 8:
“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt 7:8 NIV84)
Why do you think Jesus repeats Himself this way? In His earlier teaching on prayer, Jesus says we’re not to “keep on babbling” like unbelievers. Is this a contradiction to His earlier teaching? Not at all!
The repetition in verses 7 and 8 is to reinforce the importance of what He says. It’s also an affirmation of assurance about persistent prayer. Jesus makes it clear that persistent prayer will be rewarded.
Mere repetition of words lacks value unless it carries a sense of the intensity of our trust in God—a trust that God will answer our prayer.
These are not rote prayers memorized and repeated in a ritualistic manner but earnest and honest prayer. Prayer from the heart filled with emotion and need.
It is not a repetitive form of prayer but an intensified insistence. It is the outpouring of a soul who earnestly believes and pursues God (Heb 11:6).
A True Way of Life
Jesus uses a parabolic illustration to explain this kind of prayer and how it’s different than rote, ritualized prayer more typical of the Pharisees and others who don’t know God in a personal way.
First, consider the type of progression expressed by these three words—ask, seek, and knock.
When we ask for something it is a request. It could be a request for provision, guidance, forgiveness, or help of some kind. Perhaps this is a reminder not to worry for our Father knows our needs already (Matt 6:32).
To seek means to pursue with the intent of finding what is sought. This reflects a more specific focus of prayer beyond a request. This type of prayer carries with it a sense of confidence. Jesus gives us assurance of finding what we seek. And remember, we are to seek His Kingdom and righteousness first of all (Matt 6:33).
Knocking on a door indicates a sense of nearness and presence. A door is an entrance. In prayer, we pursue God where He lives—in heaven. When we knock on a door, we expect and want it to be opened and the Lord assures us it will be opened.
Jesus asks two questions with obvious answers.
The parabolic illustration focuses more on the beginning of persistent prayer—of asking and making a request. The two questions Jesus asks are rhetorical and contrast our human selfishness and weakness to the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Though we are prone to selfishness and sin by nature, we wouldn’t give our children a stone when they ask for bread nor give them a snake rather than a fish. We would give them good things.
The Father wants to give good gifts to His children far more than we as human parents. In this teaching on prayer, the emphasis is not so much on how to pray but to whom we are praying.
How do we see God?
If we see Him as harsh and reticent to answer our prayer, it’s more of a reflection of our hearts and our faith than God.
The Father knows our needs and promises to provide for them. But do we genuinely trust in Him?
Are we confident in God’s goodness and faithfulness as our Heavenly Father? Then we need to be persistent in prayer!
Persistence in prayer is simply—asking, seeking, and knocking—with the confidence of receiving, finding, and seeing the door opened.
How do you see God?
As harsh and reticent to answer your prayer or as your Heavenly Father?
Reflection—
Persistence in prayer is an intensified insistence—an outpouring of our soul because we earnestly believe and trust in God. When we ask, seek, and knock, we do so with the confidence of receiving, finding, and seeing the door opened by our Heavenly Father.
Prayer Focus—
Ask the Lord to help you grow in your faith to enable and empower you to pray with persistence. Ask God to make Himself known to you in a personal and powerful way. If something seems to hinder you from coming to God with confidence when you pray, ask Him to reveal it so you can lay this aside in His presence and be assured of Him as your Heavenly Father.
Devo Scripture Text
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
“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.”
“Which of you, if his 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 7:1-12 NIV84)