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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
The core theme of these lyrics is very simple, yet very profound: God has bound Himself to respond to those who come to Him in faith—asking, seeking, and knocking.
This is not human optimism. It is divine commitment. The words of Jesus are not suggestions; they are covenant invitations with attached promises. Every line of the song echoes this central truth:
Yet these promises are not casual. They are set in the context of discipleship, righteousness, and the revelation of God as Father through Jesus Christ.
Let us look at what the Word of God says, and then measure the lyrics by that standard, so that our faith may not rest on vague feelings, but on the sure promises of Scripture.
The key passages:
“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.”
“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!”
“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
These are some of the boldest statements Jesus ever made about prayer. If we understand them correctly, they will transform our prayer life, our expectation, and our relationship with our heavenly Father.
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### a) Matthew 7:7–11: In the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7 comes near the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is not speaking to the casual crowd only; He is addressing those who are ready to be His disciples under the kingdom of heaven.
By this point He has already:
Then He comes to this promise of asking, seeking, knocking. That means this promise is not detached from the rest. It belongs inside a life that is:
So when Jesus says, “Ask … seek … knock,” He is not issuing a blank check to the flesh. He is inviting those who have surrendered to His lordship to draw resources from their Father.
### b) Matthew 7:11: The Father’s Heart
In verse 11 Jesus makes a comparison:
> “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…”
He exposes the condition of fallen humanity: “being evil”. Even the best natural father is, by nature, a sinner. Yet such a father still cares for his children and gives them good things.
Jesus then uses a “how much more” argument. If fallen human fathers give good gifts, how much more will a perfect, holy Father give good things to His children when they ask? The emphasis is not on our worthiness, but on His goodness.
Luke’s parallel passage (Luke 11:13) adds an important detail:
> “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
So the greatest “good gift” is not material—it is the Holy Spirit Himself.
### c) John 14:13–14: In the Upper Room
John 14 belongs to the Upper Room discourse, the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. He is preparing His disciples for His departure, for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and for their future ministry in His name.
He has just said:
Then He gives this promise:
> “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Notice:
1. The scope: “whatever … anything”
2. The condition: “in My name”
3. The purpose: “that the Father may be glorified in the Son”
4. The agent: “I will do it”
This is not a mechanical formula. It is a relational promise rooted in union with Christ, aligned with the Father’s glory.
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Let us consider two key Greek verbs from Matthew 7:7–8.
### a) “Ask” — *aiteō* (αἰτέω)
The word translated “ask” is aiteō.
In its grammatical form in Matthew 7:7 (“Ask, and it will be given”), it is a present imperative:
This shows that prayer is not passive. It is an active, continual posture of coming to God with definite requests, based on His promises.
### b) “Seek” — *zēteō* (ζητέω)
The word “seek” is zēteō.
So “seek” speaks of more than one quick prayer. It involves:
When these two words—*aiteō* and *zēteō*—are combined with “knock” (*krouō*: to knock repeatedly until the door opens), we have a picture of progressive intensity:
The lyrics pick up this progression: “Ask in faith, seek with all your heart, knock and trust.” This is a sound summary of the biblical pattern.
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We will move through the main lines of the lyrics and connect them to the Word.
### 4.1 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
These are the exact words of Jesus (Matthew 7:7). Notice three elements:
1. Three imperatives: ask, seek, knock.
2. Three promises: it will be given, you will find, it will be opened.
3. Certainty: not “might,” but “will.”
This reflects an important truth: God has committed Himself to respond. He is not indifferent. But the kind of response and the timing of the response are under His wisdom, not ours.
In Luke 11:5–10, Jesus gives a parable about a man who goes to his friend at midnight to ask for bread. The friend is reluctant at first, but because of the man’s persistence, he gets what he needs. Jesus applies it with the same words: ask, seek, knock.
There we see:
### 4.2 “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.”
Here the lyrics echo Matthew 7:8:
> “For everyone who asks receives…”
This universal language—“everyone”—is startling. It does not say:
It says everyone. But we must interpret Scripture with Scripture. James 1:6–7 adds:
> “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…
> For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…”
So “everyone” does not remove the condition of faith. It means that God has no favorites—every believer has access, if they meet the conditions.
The line “God answers those who come” agrees with Hebrews 11:6:
> “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Two requirements:
1. Believe that God exists.
2. Believe that God rewards those who seek Him.
Many Christians believe the first, but are unsure of the second. They pray with uncertainty, not expecting an answer. That is not biblical faith. God is a rewarder. He answers those who come.
### 4.3 “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 is almost word-for-word Matthew 7:11. Here the central revelation is that God is Father.
Many problems in prayer are rooted in a wrong picture of God:
Jesus corrects this. He says:
Psalm 84:11 supports this:
> “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
So we must hold two truths together:
Sometimes we ask for things that would damage us. A loving Father says “No” or “Not yet.” That does not contradict the promise; it fulfills His goodness.
### 4.4 “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 quotes John 14:13–14. Here we must be very careful. Many misuse this as a magic formula.
#### a) “In My name”
To pray “in the name of Jesus” is more than attaching a phrase to the end of a prayer. In Scripture, “name” represents:
To ask in Jesus’ name means:
1. Asking in alignment with His character and will.
2. Standing in the authority He has delegated to us.
3. Seeking the same purpose He seeks: the Father’s glory.
1 John 5:14–15 explains it:
> “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
> And if we know that He hears us… we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
So “anything in My name” is bounded by “according to His will.”
#### b) “That the Father may be glorified in the Son”
The ultimate purpose of answered prayer is not our comfort. It is that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This exposes self-centered prayer. God is not committed to glorifying our ego. He is committed to glorifying His Son.
When our hearts are aligned with the Father’s purpose—to glorify Jesus—our prayers begin to move in harmony with heaven. Then this promise has full force: “I will do it.”
### 4.5 “Ask in faith, seek with all your heart, knock and trust—your heavenly Father hears and gives.”
This line accurately captures several biblical conditions.
#### a) Ask in faith
James 1:6:
> “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…”
Faith is not presumption. Faith is confidence based on what God has spoken. Romans 10:17:
> “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
We do not manufacture faith. We receive it as the Word of God takes root in our hearts. Therefore, effective asking is always grounded in the written Word or a specific word God has spoken to us.
#### b) Seek with all your heart
Jeremiah 29:13:
> “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Half-hearted seeking does not carry this promise. God promises Himself to those who seek with their whole heart—no hidden reservations, no divided loyalties.
#### c) Knock and trust
Knocking implies persistence. Trust addresses the time gap between knocking and the door opening. Hebrews 6:12 tells us to imitate those:
> “…who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Faith believes God. Patience stays in faith until the answer manifests. Many lose their answer not because God failed, but because they gave up knocking.
#### d) Your heavenly Father hears and gives
1 John 5:15:
> “If we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have…”
The first step is confidence that He hears. The second is confidence that He gives. This is the essence of childlike trust in a Father.
### 4.6 Repetition: “For everyone who asks receives… Ask, seek, knock—God answers those who come.”
The repeated refrain matches the repetition of Jesus Himself (Matthew 7; Luke 11). Repetition in Scripture is emphasis. Jesus wants this to be engraved into the heart of His disciples:
At the same time, we must balance this with other truths:
So the promise stands, but it calls us to examine our hearts and align with God’s ways.
---
Let us consider several clear, practical steps.
### 1) Come to God as Father, through Jesus the Son
The promises in Matthew 7 and John 14 are given in the context of sonship and discipleship.
Hebrews 10:19:
> “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus…”
Practical step:
Begin your times of prayer by affirming:
This establishes the right relationship and removes condemnation.
### 2) Align your requests with Scripture and the will of God
Faith asks according to God’s revealed will.
For example:
Practical step:
Do not rush to prayer without your Bible. Find at least one clear promise. Turn that promise into a specific request. Then thank God that He is faithful to His Word.
### 3) Practice progressive persistence: Ask, then seek, then knock
These three verbs suggest increasing engagement.
Practical step:
For critical matters, adopt a pattern:
### 4) Guard the conditions of effective prayer
These promises are not mechanical. Certain conditions are repeatedly emphasized in Scripture.
Key conditions to watch:
1. Faith — no double-mindedness (James 1:6–7).
2. Forgiveness — releasing others (Mark 11:25).
3. Obedience — keeping His commandments (1 John 3:22).
4. Right motives — God’s glory, not self-indulgence (James 4:3).
5. Right relationships — especially in the home (1 Peter 3:7).
Practical step:
Before presenting your requests:
This does not earn answers, but it removes hindrances.
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### Proclamation
Declare this aloud, thoughtfully and deliberately:
“I come to God as my Father in heaven, through the blood of Jesus Christ His Son.
Jesus has commanded me to ask, to seek, and to knock.
He has promised that everyone who asks receives,
everyone who seeks finds,
and to everyone who knocks the door will be opened.
Though I was evil by nature,
I have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus
and adopted as a child of God.
My Father in heaven is good,
and He gives good gifts to those who ask Him,
especially the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said that whatever I ask in His name,
according to the will of God and for the Father’s glory,
He Himself will do it.
Therefore I choose to ask in faith,
to seek with all my heart,
and to knock with perseverance.
I renounce doubt, fear, and unbelief.
I submit my desires, my motives, and my will
to the Word of God and the glory of the Father.
My heavenly Father hears me,
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,
and I expect His answer in His time and His way.
Amen.”
### Prayer
“Father in heaven,
I thank You for the clear, unshakable promises of Your Son Jesus:
that if I ask, it will be given;
if I seek, I will find;
if I knock, it will be opened.
Forgive me where I have doubted Your goodness,
where I have prayed without faith,
or asked for things contrary to Your will.
Cleanse my heart.
Align my desires with Your Word.
Teach me to pray in the name of Jesus—
in harmony with His character, His authority, and His purpose.
I ask You now for a fresh work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Fill me, lead me, and empower me to live as Your child,
confident in Your love and faithful in prayer.
Make me one who asks in faith,
seeks with all my heart,
and knocks without giving up,
until Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
for Your glory, Father.
Amen.”
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