Imagine praying with Jesus. What would it have been like to hear and see Jesus praying? Luke Chapter 11 tells how Jesus had been praying, and one of his disciples came to him and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples wanted to pray like Jesus. They witnessed the fact that all of Jesus’ prayers were answered. When Jesus prayed things happened. I have been in worship services and heard people pray and thought to myself I wished I could pray like that.
Jesus gives the disciples a model prayer. It is not my aim to talk about the model prayer, but to share with you what Jesus taught about prayer after giving the model prayer in Luke 11:9-10.
9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jesus in these verses gives us a precious promise concerning prayer. There are three important words used in verse 9, ask, seek, and knock. These verb tenses literally mean “keep on continually asking . . . keep on continually seeking, . . . keep on continually knocking. These three verbs are not repetitions; since to seek is more than to ask, and to knock is more than to seek.
Jesus gives the disciples a model prayer. It is not my aim to talk about the model prayer, but to share with you what Jesus taught about prayer after giving the model prayer in Luke 11:9-10.
9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jesus in these verses gives us a precious promise concerning prayer. There are three important words used in verse 9, ask, seek, and knock. These verb tenses literally mean “keep on continually asking . . . keep on continually seeking, . . . keep on continually knocking. These three verbs are not repetitions; since to seek is more than to ask, and to knock is more than to seek.
What does it mean to “ask”? Ask is a simple word that means to request. When we ask God for something, we are recognizing God as the one who supplies all our needs. We are expressing our dependence on Him as our provider.
The word “seek” is an interesting word. It means to seek for something in order to find it, to aim, or strive after something. When you ask God for something and totally depend on him as your provider, then the next step is to seek the Lord’s answer. Look for the answer, the Lord always answers our prayers. The answer may not be the one you want, but you will get the best answer, God’s answer. Seek for the answer and you shall find it.
The next word is “knock”. This word means to knock as one would on a door at a home. After we have asked God in prayer, and are seeking the answer, we are to knock on the door and see if he opens the door. Many times Christians don’t knock on the door of God’s will, instead they try to kick it in. If you have to force the door open it is not the right door, or it is not the right time. We need to wait for Him to open the door. Jesus said “knock and it will be opened.” God always has an open door somewhere for you.
I want to encourage you as you pray, to ask the Lord, trust him as your provider. Seek God’s will until you find the answer, then knock and wait until the Lord opens the right door. Become an “A.S.K. Prayer Warrior” Asking, Seeking, Knocking kind of prayer warrior.
Pastor Larry
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