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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.”
— Matthew 7:7
Those words of Jesus form the foundation of this teaching and of the song “Ask, Seek, Knock.” They are not a suggestion. They are not a religious slogan. They are a divine invitation and a spiritual law in the kingdom of God.
The associated verses strengthen and clarify this invitation:
> “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
> — Matthew 7:8
> “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!”
> — Matthew 7:11
> “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
> You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
> — John 14:13–14
We are faced here with some of the boldest promises in all of Scripture concerning prayer. Many believers struggle in their prayer life, live in spiritual poverty, or remain bound in areas where they could walk in liberty, largely because they have not understood or acted on these principles.
The song simply repeats what Jesus said: Ask. Seek. Knock.
The message is: God answers those who come.
We will examine:
---
These promises come from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), where Jesus is describing life under the rule of God—the lifestyle of the kingdom.
### Who was speaking?
Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, is speaking with full authority. At the end of the sermon, people were astonished because:
> “He taught them as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”
> — Matthew 7:29
He was not offering theories. He was unfolding spiritual laws—unchanging realities in the kingdom.
### To whom was He speaking?
He is speaking first to His disciples (Matthew 5:1–2), but also to the crowds who have gathered. These are ordinary people—sinners, seekers, some religious, some broken, many oppressed. They are under Roman occupation. They are not in control politically or socially. Yet Jesus is giving them access to the throne of heaven through prayer.
### What is the immediate context?
In Matthew 7, Jesus has just warned against:
and then immediately moves to prayer:
> “Ask… seek… knock…”
Then, in verses 9–11, He gives the illustration of a father who gives bread and fish, not a stone or a snake. Here, Jesus is correcting one of the deepest problems in human hearts: a distorted image of God. Many think of God as distant, harsh, or reluctant. Jesus reveals Him as Father—a Father who delights to give good gifts.
In John 14, the context is different. Jesus is in the upper room, preparing His disciples for His departure. He is speaking of:
In that context He says:
> “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
This is not casual prayer. It is prayer aligned with the mission of Christ and the glory of the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
---
### 1. “Ask” – Greek: *aiteō* (αἰτέω)
The word translated “ask” is *aiteō*. It means:
It is not a timid, uncertain hoping. It is a confident, respectful request, based on relationship and covenant. In John 14:13–14, this word is used of prayer in Jesus’ name.
When we “ask” in this sense, we are:
### 2. “Seek” – Greek: *zēteō* (ζητέω)
*Zēteō* means:
This word expresses diligent pursuit, not casual curiosity. In Scripture, seeking is often connected with seeking God Himself:
> “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
> — Jeremiah 29:13
Seeking is not only about receiving things; it is primarily about knowing God and His will.
### 3. “Knock” – Greek: *krouō* (κρούω)
*krouō* means:
The idea is not a single tap, but continued knocking until there is a response. It carries the sense of refusal to give up.
In Luke’s parallel teaching (Luke 11:5–10), Jesus illustrates this with a man who keeps knocking at midnight until his friend gets up to answer. There is an element of holy insistence.
### Continuous action
In Greek, the verbs in Matthew 7:7 are in the present continuous tense. We could legitimately render it:
This reveals God’s intention: ongoing, persevering prayer, not a single, half-hearted attempt.
---
### Stanza 1
> Ask and it will be given to you;
> seek and you will find;
> knock and the door will be opened to you.
This stanza quotes Matthew 7:7 directly. We have three levels or dimensions of prayer.
#### 1. Ask – The level of stated request
We bring our needs, desires, and petitions before God. This is legitimate and commanded.
> “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
> present your requests to God.”
> — Philippians 4:6
Many believers live under unnecessary anxiety simply because they never clearly ask. They worry. They complain. They talk about the problem. But they do not bring a definite request to God in faith.
#### 2. Seek – The level of pursuit and discernment
When you seek, you are not just asking for an answer; you are searching for God’s mind and will.
> “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
> — Matthew 6:33
Seeking shifts the focus from “What do I want?” to “What does God want?” This is crucial in spiritual warfare. Many prayers are ineffective because they are detached from God’s purposes.
#### 3. Knock – The level of persistence and access
The door represents access—to God’s presence, to His resources, to opportunities, to breakthroughs. Knocking means we are at the threshold of something God has for us, and we persist until the barrier is removed.
This is especially relevant in deliverance and spiritual warfare:
Jesus does not say, “Tap once and walk away.” He says, in effect, “Keep knocking until the door opens.”
### Stanza 2
> For everyone who asks receives,
> and the one who seeks finds,
> and to the one who knocks
> the door will be opened.
> Ask, seek, knock—
> God answers those who come.
This stanza restates Matthew 7:8. Notice the universality:
There is no exception stated here. But Scripture interprets Scripture. We must balance this promise with other conditions the Bible gives for effective prayer.
#### Scriptural conditions for answered prayer
1. According to God’s will
> “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
> — 1 John 5:14
2. In faith, without doubting
> “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt… That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
> — James 1:6–7
3. In Jesus’ name
> “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
> — John 14:14
To pray “in His name” is not merely to attach a phrase to the end of a prayer. It means:
4. With right motives
> “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
> — James 4:3 (ESV)
5. In obedience
> “We receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”
> — 1 John 3:22
When these conditions are met, Matthew 7:7–8 stands with full force: everyone who asks receives.
The line “God answers those who come” is accurate. The crucial question is: *How do we come?*
We must come:
### Stanza 3
> 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!
This stanza quotes Matthew 7:11. Jesus contrasts human parenthood with divine Fatherhood.
#### “Though you are evil…”
Jesus is blunt. Human nature, apart from grace, is evil. Yet even sinful parents normally have:
If that is true of fallen parents, how much more is it true of the perfect heavenly Father?
#### “Good gifts”
Luke’s version is helpful:
> “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
> — Luke 11:13
Comparing Matthew and Luke, we can say:
So, at the heart of “Ask, seek, knock” is not merely asking for things, but asking for the Spirit’s fullness, for more of God Himself.
This touches spiritual warfare directly. Many problems believers try to solve with human effort can only be solved by the Holy Spirit:
### Stanza 4
> And I will do whatever you ask in my name,
> so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
> You may ask me for anything in my name,
> and I will do it.
This stanza reflects John 14:13–14. Here we are dealing with kingdom-level prayer.
#### “Whatever you ask in my name…”
We must guard against two errors:
1. Unbelief – watering this down so that it means almost nothing.
2. Presumption – claiming anything we want, as if God were obligated to fulfill our carnal desires.
The key is in the phrase: “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Jesus commits Himself to do whatever we ask in His name when the result is the Father’s glory in and through Him. This means:
This is especially relevant to ministry situations:
In such contexts, to ask in Jesus’ name is to:
### Stanza 5
> Ask in faith, seek with all your heart,
> knock and trust—
> your heavenly Father hears and gives.
This adds three vital qualifiers:
1. Ask in faith
> “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
Faith believes that:
Unbelief says: “Nothing will change… God will not answer…” Faith says: “God will act according to His Word.”
2. Seek with all your heart
This echoes Jeremiah 29:13. Half-hearted seeking is self-deception. God has promised Himself to those who seek Him wholeheartedly.
3. Knock and trust
Trust is relational faith. It does not set conditions on how or when God must answer. It rests in His character while persisting in prayer.
Notice the affirmation: “Your heavenly Father hears and gives.”
Not:
but your Father—who hears and gives.
This confronts demonic lies that tell believers:
Such accusations are part of spiritual warfare (Revelation 12:10). We overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
### Repeated Refrain
> For everyone who asks receives,
> and the one who seeks finds,
> and to the one who knocks
> the door will be opened.
> Ask, seek, knock—
> God answers those who come.
The repetition is pedagogical. Jesus Himself repeated these truths. Why? Because our unbelief is stubborn. Tradition, disappointment, and fear often stand against these promises. The Spirit keeps pressing the same truth until it penetrates and reshapes our thinking.
---
We will not benefit from these promises if we treat them as theory. They must be applied. Here are four clear steps.
### 1. First, we must align our hearts and motives.
Before we start asking, we should ask God to examine our motives.
A simple prayer:
“Lord, I submit my will, my motives, and my desires to You. Let my prayers agree with Your purposes and Your Word.”
### 2. Second, we must ask specifically and in faith.
Vague requests produce vague results. Throughout Scripture, God’s servants ask concretely:
Practical steps:
Then, believe that you have been heard.
> “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
> — Mark 11:24
Faith receives in the spiritual realm before seeing in the natural.
### 3. Third, we must seek God Himself and His will.
Do not reduce “ask, seek, knock” to getting things. The primary object is God Himself.
Ways to seek:
In every significant decision (marriage, ministry, location, calling), your first priority should be:
“Lord, what is Your will? Your kingdom come. Your will be done.”
This protects you from prayers that are sincere but misguided. The more you seek Him, the more your desires are transformed.
### 4. Fourth, we must knock persistently and refuse to quit.
Many breakthroughs require perseverance. Demonic resistance often intensifies when you are near a breakthrough. Knocking means you:
Jesus taught:
> “They should always pray and not give up.”
> — Luke 18:1
In spiritual warfare:
Make a decision: “I will keep asking, seeking, and knocking until God answers—either by granting my request or by clearly redirecting it.”
---
### Proclamation
Say this aloud, thoughtfully, as an act of faith:
> I proclaim that God is my Father in heaven.
> I come to Him through Jesus Christ, in His name and by His blood.
> I accept His invitation to ask, to seek, and to knock.
>
> I declare that as I ask according to His will, I receive.
> As I seek Him with all my heart, I find Him.
> As I knock in faith and perseverance, the door is opened to me.
>
> My Father is good.
> He gives good gifts to those who ask Him.
> He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
>
> I renounce unbelief, fear, and every lie that says God does not hear me.
> I choose to trust His Word above my feelings and circumstances.
> I will live as a child who asks, seeks, and knocks—
> for God answers those who come.
> In the name of Jesus. Amen.
### Prayer
“Father in heaven,
I thank You for the clear promises of Your Son:
That if I ask, it will be given;
if I seek, I will find;
if I knock, the door will be opened.
I confess that I have often prayed timidly or not at all.
Forgive me for unbelief, passivity, and self-centered motives.
By Your Holy Spirit, teach me to pray in faith, in alignment with Your will, and in the name of Jesus.
Search my heart and remove anything that hinders my prayers.
Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit—the greatest gift.
I now bring before You the needs, burdens, and battles in my life
[pause and name them before God].
I present them to You based on Your Word, not my worthiness.
Strengthen me to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking
until Your answer is manifested and Your name is glorified.
I believe that You are my Father.
I believe that You hear me.
I believe that You give good gifts.
I receive by faith what You have promised,
in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen.”
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