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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
“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
These two statements of Jesus form one of the most powerful revelations about prayer in the New Testament. The lyrics you have provided simply echo and arrange these words of Jesus:
> Ask and it will be given to you;
> seek and you will find;
> knock and the door will be opened to you.
> …Ask, seek, knock—
> God answers those who come.
We are confronted here with a divine invitation. God, in His sovereignty, has bound Himself to respond to the prayers of His people. Much of the spiritual poverty, defeat, and frustration in the Christian life comes from ignorance or neglect of this invitation. James says it very plainly:
> “You do not have because you do not ask.”
> — James 4:2
So we will look at what the Word of God says about asking, seeking, and knocking; and how this relates to praying “in the name” of Jesus.
### Matthew 7:7 – Within the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:7–11 comes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is speaking to His disciples, with the crowds listening. He is describing the righteousness of the kingdom of God—righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
By the time we reach chapter 7, Jesus has already:
Then, in this context, He says:
> “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
This is not a random statement. It is the practical key to living the impossible standards of the Sermon on the Mount. The righteousness demanded is beyond human capability. Therefore, Jesus shows the way: constant dependence on the Father, accessed through prayer.
He concludes this segment with the illustration of earthly fathers and gifts:
> “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
So He places prayer within a family relationship. This is not mechanical formula; it is child-to-Father interaction.
### John 14:13 – Within the Upper Room Discourse
John 14:13–14 belongs to the upper room discourse (John 13–17), delivered on the night before the crucifixion. Jesus is preparing His disciples for His physical departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In John 14 He declares:
Then He makes this stunning promise:
> “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
Here, prayer is not only about our needs. It is about the glory of the Father in the Son. The power of the name of Jesus is introduced as the basis for effective prayer.
So:
The lyrics rightly combine both themes: access to a loving Father, and authority through the name of Jesus.
### 1. “Ask” – *aiteō* (αἰτέω)
In Matthew 7:7, the verb “ask” is *aiteō*.
The form used in Matthew 7:7 is present imperative: “keep on asking.” It denotes continuous, persistent action.
So when the lyrics say:
> Ask and it will be given to you…
It is not a casual, one-time experiment. Jesus is speaking of an ongoing posture:
This corrects a passive mentality in prayer. Many hope. Few actually ask. *Aiteō* is deliberate.
### 2. “Seek” – *zēteō* (ζητέω)
“Seek” is *zēteō*.
Again, in Matthew 7:7, the verb form is present imperative: “keep on seeking.”
To seek is more than asking with words; it is aligning our life with what we desire from God. It includes:
Jeremiah 29:13 expresses the same principle:
> “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
So seeking, in biblical terms, is wholehearted pursuit — not half-hearted religion.
### 3. “Knock” – *krouō* (κρούω)
“Knock” is *krouō*.
Knocking implies there is a barrier or closed door. It is not open yet. But knocking assumes there is someone behind the door who is willing to open.
This carries a picture of holy persistence. We do not walk away because the door is presently closed. We stand, we knock, and we wait in faith. This relates directly to Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8) and the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5–10).
“Ask, seek, knock” thus presents a progression:
1. Ask – verbal, specific petition.
2. Seek – active, personal pursuit.
3. Knock – persevering insistence until the barrier yields.
And all three are continuous: “keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.”
This deepens our understanding of the lyrics: they are an invitation to ongoing interaction with God, not a one-time formula.
### Stanza 1: The Triple Command and Triple Promise
> 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,
> and the one who seeks finds,
> and to the one who knocks
> the door will be opened.
Here we see three commands matched with three unconditional promises:
Then Jesus reinforces it: “For everyone who asks receives…” (Matthew 7:8).
We must confront the boldness of this language. There is no hesitation, no “perhaps,” no “sometimes.” This reveals something about God:
1. He is willing to give.
He is not reluctant. He is not stingy. James 1:5 says He “gives generously to all without finding fault.”
2. He responds to approach.
God has structured the relationship so that what we receive is linked to what we ask; what we find is linked to what we seek; which doors are opened is linked to where we knock.
3. He is consistent (“everyone who asks…”).
There is no arbitrary favoritism. The condition is not status, background, personality, or history. The condition is coming to Him in the way He has appointed.
However, the rest of Scripture adds necessary balance. These promises must be read in harmony with:
The spiritual reality behind these verses is that prayer is God’s chosen means to accomplish His purposes on earth. He could act without us, but He has ordained that we cooperate through asking, seeking, and knocking. This is part of spiritual warfare: prayer is how we bring heaven’s will to bear upon earth’s situations (Matthew 6:10).
### Stanza 2: The Assurance of Response
> Ask, seek, knock—
> God answers those who come.
Here the theme is approach. God answers those who come. This echoes Hebrews 11:6:
> “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
And Hebrews 4:16:
> “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…”
The problem is not on God’s side. The problem is that many do not truly come. They stand at a distance in unbelief, passivity, or condemnation. They may rehearse religious words, but their heart does not approach with expectancy.
Theologically, this line touches on:
This also exposes a strategy of Satan. One of his main tactics is to keep believers from praying boldly:
But the Scripture says: “God answers those who come.” This is an offensive statement against unbelief and passivity.
### Stanza 3: The Father’s Good Gifts
> 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 a direct quotation of Matthew 7:11. Jesus reasons from the lesser to the greater.
Luke’s parallel (Luke 11:13) says:
> “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Matthew emphasizes “good gifts.” Luke emphasizes the supreme gift, the Holy Spirit. There is no contradiction. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate good gift, and with Him come the other good things that align with God’s will.
Several truths arise:
1. God’s character is good.
Many believers unconsciously view God as reluctant or harsh. Jesus corrects this. Our Father delights to give good gifts.
2. God’s goodness is superior to human goodness.
“You then, being evil” — Jesus does not flatter human nature. Yet even in its fallenness, there is a shadow of parental goodness. God’s goodness surpasses this infinitely.
3. God’s gifts are safe.
He will not give us a stone when we ask for bread, nor a serpent when we ask for a fish. This means: if we ask for what we sincerely believe to be good and it is not truly good, He will not give it. The refusal is then an expression of His goodness, not His indifference.
This should remove fear from prayer. We are not bargaining with an unpredictable deity. We are approaching a Father who gives good and only good gifts to His children.
### Stanza 4: Asking in the Name of Jesus
> 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 is essentially John 14:13–14. The emphasis is now on the name of Jesus and the glory of the Father.
Several elements must be understood.
#### 1. The meaning of “in My name”
To ask in Jesus’ name is not to attach a religious formula at the end of a prayer. It means:
In biblical thought, a name represents the nature of the person. To use the name of Jesus is to stand in what He is and what He has done:
We do not come in our merit but in His. That is why the Father hears.
#### 2. The purpose: the Father’s glory
“So that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This is the controlling motive. God’s primary concern is His own glory, which is fully expressed in His Son. When we ask in such a way that the answer will display the character, power, wisdom, and mercy of God, we are on secure ground.
This rules out self-centered prayer. James 4:3 says:
> “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Jesus’ promise in John 14 is not a blank check for selfish desires. It is a blank check for anything that accords with His name and glorifies His Father.
#### 3. The authority of the risen Christ
“I will do it.” Notice, Jesus Himself undertakes to act in response to our asking. From His exalted position, He administers the power of heaven in response to the prayers of His people.
This has implications in spiritual warfare. The name of Jesus is the supreme authority over:
To pray in His name is to bring that authority to bear upon our circumstances, in alignment with His will.
### Stanza 5: The Posture of the Heart
> Ask in faith, seek with all your heart,
> knock and trust—
> your heavenly Father hears and gives.
Here, the conditions and attitudes of effective prayer are summarized:
1. Ask in faith
James 1:6–7:
> “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…”
Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is confidence based on the character and promises of God. Faith takes God at His Word and speaks accordingly. Unbelief is not a minor defect; it is an insult to God’s integrity.
2. Seek with all your heart
This echoes Jeremiah 29:13 and Deuteronomy 4:29. God does not commit Himself to half-hearted seekers. Lukewarmness is repulsive to Him (Revelation 3:16). Wholehearted seeking means:
3. Knock and trust
Knocking emphasizes persistence; trust emphasizes attitude while we wait. There is often a delay between asking and receiving, between knocking and the door opening. The delay is a test of trust.
Isaiah 64:4 describes God as the One:
> “…who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.”
Many give up at the threshold of the answer. Knocking and trusting refuse to let circumstances dictate our expectation.
4. Your heavenly Father hears and gives
Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase “your Father” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6). Prayer rests upon this relationship.
The spiritual reality: The whole Trinity is involved in true prayer.
The lyrics rightly center on the Father’s hearing and giving, secured and interpreted through the Son.
We will now translate these truths into deliberate practice. I will outline four steps and include sample proclamations, because Derek Prince emphasized speaking God’s Word back to Him and over our lives.
### Step 1: Come as a Child to the Father
First, we must adjust our approach to God. He is not merely a distant Sovereign; He is “our Father in heaven.”
Proclamation 1:
“I come to God as my Father in heaven. Though I was once a sinner, through the blood of Jesus I have become His child. My Father is good, He knows what I need, and He delights to give me good gifts when I ask.”
### Step 2: Ask Specifically and Continually
Second, we must move from vague desire into concrete asking.
Proclamation 2:
“According to Matthew 7:7–8, I choose to ask, and I will keep on asking. I present my specific requests to my Father in heaven. He has said that everyone who asks receives, so I position myself among those who ask and receive.”
### Step 3: Seek God Himself, Not Just His Gifts
Third, we must move beyond seeking blessings to seeking the Blesser.
Proclamation 3:
“I choose to seek the Lord with all my heart. I seek His presence, His will, and His ways. I ask my Father in heaven for the Holy Spirit, trusting that He will give me this good gift. As I seek, I believe that I will find.”
### Step 4: Knock in Spiritual Warfare and Stand Your Ground
Fourth, we must recognize that some doors are resisted by spiritual opposition.
Revelation 3:8 contains Christ’s promise:
> “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”
We knock until we discern that God has opened the door, and then we walk through in obedience.
Proclamation 4:
“In the name of Jesus, I stand at the doors God intends me to enter—doors of freedom, calling, and fruitfulness. I knock and keep on knocking. Every demonic barrier must give way to the authority of the name of Jesus. When God opens the door, no one can shut it. I will go through every door He opens.”
These steps are not theory. They are to be practiced, repeatedly, until they shape our way of life. Prayer is not an event. It is the atmosphere of the Christian life.
### Proclamation
Say this aloud, deliberately, based on Matthew 7:7–11 and John 14:13–14:
“I affirm today that Jesus has commanded me to ask, to seek, and to knock. Therefore, I choose to obey. I will keep on asking, and it will be given to me. I will keep on seeking, and I will find. I will keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to me.
I believe that everyone who asks receives; everyone who seeks finds; and to everyone who knocks the door is opened. I am one of those who ask, seek, and knock.
My Father in heaven is good. Though earthly fathers are evil and still give good gifts to their children, my Father infinitely surpasses them in goodness. He gives good gifts to those who ask Him, and I am one who asks.
I come in the name of Jesus, not in my own name. I ask in His name, according to His will, with the desire that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Jesus Himself has said, ‘Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it.’ Therefore, I expect His answer, in His way and in His time.
I reject unbelief, fear, and passivity. I embrace faith, wholehearted seeking, and persistent knocking. My heavenly Father hears, and my heavenly Father gives. This is my right and my inheritance as a child of God, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
### Prayer
“Father in heaven,
I come to You through the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in His blood and His name. Thank You for inviting me to ask, to seek, and to knock. Forgive me for every time I have neglected this invitation, for every time I have doubted Your goodness or questioned Your willingness.
I ask now that You would restore to me the spirit of faith in prayer. Teach me how to ask according to Your will, how to seek You with all my heart, and how to knock with perseverance until the doors You have appointed are opened.
Where my image of You has been distorted, heal it by Your Word. Reveal Yourself to me as my good Father who gives good gifts. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit as You have promised. Bring my desires into alignment with Your purposes, so that my prayers may glorify You.
In the name of Jesus, I resist every work of Satan that would hinder my praying—every spirit of unbelief, accusation, weariness, or distraction. I declare that the blood of Jesus has opened a new and living way into Your presence, and I choose to walk in it.
From this day forward, let my life be marked by confident asking, diligent seeking, and persistent knocking. And may every answer You give bring glory to the Father in the Son, through the Holy Spirit.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.”
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