For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
6 sermons cite this verse
… the needs you have in your life today. First of all, the principle of ask, A-S-K. It's an acrostic that stands for ask, seek, and knock. Listen to Jesus' words in Matthew 7, verses 7 to 8, very familiar words. 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 him who knocks, it will be opened. Now those words, ask, seek, and knock, are important because they are in the present imperative. You say, why do I need to know that? I could have gone my whole life without knowing that. Why do I need to know that? Because what it really says is, keep on asking. I-N-G. Keep on asking. Keep on knocking. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. What he's talking about is, first of all, pray with persistence. If there is a need you have in your life, don't just make it a one and done prayer. …
… they will trample the pearls then turn and attack you keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for keep on seeking and you will find keep on knocking and the door will be open to you For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents, if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not. So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him? Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Have you thought recently about the power of words? I find it rather encouraging in a day of missiles and rockets and bombs to remind myself that there is probably nothing more powerful than a well-spoken and well-timed word. …
… but that's where Jesus, He kind of reiterates parallel what we saw in Matthew chapter 7, verse 7 through 11. If your son asks for bread, we give him a stone. And what Jesus does is he changes it up a little bit in verse 13 in Luke chapter 11. He says, if you then, though you're evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven? Now, Matthew chapter 7, verse 11 said, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? In Luke 11, 13, Jesus says, how much more will your Father give? instead of good gifts, Jesus says, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? I remember reading that and thinking, well, what if I didn't ask for the Holy Spirit? What if I was asking for good gifts? Why does he give the Holy Spirit? And the beauty is, don't miss this. …
… In Matthew seven, Jesus said, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, the door will be opened. To his disciples, Jesus said in John 16, until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full. Of course, that's not saying you can ask anything willy-nilly, whatever your little heart desires, but you ask it in my name. that is according to my purposes and for my glory. Ask anything with that, and it's going to happen. But I say this because some people picture God with his arms folded, frowning at them. And when they come to him, they think God is looking at them saying, really, you again? Are you bothering me again? He is not at all like that. He didn't say, you got to go through my secretary first. You come directly. In fact, George Mueller said, prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It's laying hold of God's willingness. That's why the writer of Hebrews said, come boldly before the throne of grace, that you might receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. Not come timidly, not come fearfully, not come shyly, not come nervously, come boldly. You're a child of God. Come, ask, seek, knock. Charles Spurgeon used to liken prayer to ringing a bell, like pulling on a church bell. He said, prayer pulls the rope down below and the …
… 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. Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. This is God's word. We're going to do a brief series by Jesus, sayings by Jesus on finding. …
… AND IT SHALL BE OPEN UNTO YOU. FOR EVERYONE THAT ASKETH, RECEIVETH. AND HE THAT SEEKETH, FINDETH. AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH, IT SHALL BE OPEN. FOR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU, WHOM? IF HIS SON ASKED GRED, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE? OR IF HE ASKED A FISH, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? Dr. C. Roy Angel used to be a noted pastor in Miami, Florida when I was a boy. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DR. ANGEL WOULD DO IN HIS PREACHING WAS TO TELL STORIES. HE WAS A GREAT ILLUSTRATOR OF MESSAGES WITH STORIES, AND HE TOLD A STORY ONE TIME OF A SHEPHERD BOY WHO WAS OUT TENDING HIS SHEEP, AND HE HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN, AND THE SHEPHERD BOY SAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER HE BELIEVED HE'D EVER SEEN. HE GOT DOWN ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES TO LOOK AT THAT FLOWER, HA, HA, AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT HE DUCK IT OUT OF THE EARTH, ROOT, ROOT AND ALL, AND CUPPED IT IN HIS HANDS AND BROUGHT IT UP CLOSER TO HIS FACE TO LOOK AT IT. WHEN HE DID THAT, THERE WAS A MOUNTAIN NEARBY, AND IT SEEMED AS THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN WOULD OPEN UP, AS IF THERE WERE DOORS IN THE MOUNTAIN ON GREAT OILED HINGES, AND THE DOORS SWUNG OPEN. AND …