Article written by Sister Maxine Shackelford, Grandmothers of Hope Society, Inc
JESUS SAID, “Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened!” Matthew 7:7
Dearly Beloved, these promises are like sweet music to the ear!
To activate them you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And, to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you must be a born-again believer.
So, the question becomes: how do I become a born-again believer? I’m glad you asked. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus explains further: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Scripture tells us, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Then, we will be headed in the right direction to activate Jesus’ promises. If you have not accepted Jesus as you Lord and Savior, now might be a good time to do so. This can be accomplished by praying this simple, sincere prayer:
Lord Jesus I confess that I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my Lord and Savior.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you entered into an eternal and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ! I advise you to start reading your Bible and find a Bible-teaching church to attend. If you are new to reading the Bible, begin with the book of John. There you will learn about Jesus and begin establishing a relationship with Him. You are now qualified to not only activate these promises, but all His promises in the Bible. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it,” (John 14:13-14).
ASK:
When you pray, you must first acknowledge God for who and what He is and come to Him with a pure heart (sin separates us from God.)
Ask believing, trusting God’s promises. (Praying the scriptures.)
Be prepared for and trust His answer. It could be yes, no, or wait.
I remember as a 13-year-old, hearing a minister preaching about John 14:14. He got my attention when he said, “You can ask anything in Jesus’ name and believe, you would receive it.” So, when I wanted to go somewhere with my friends, most often the answer would be no, especially if there were chores to do. I would always take care of my chores, yet still get a no for an answer. So, my strategy was to go to our back porch, which was closed in and pray, then do my chores. I gave the Holy Spirit the credit for giving me the idea to go and ask my dad first, because he would always say, “I don’t mind go ask mama.” Then I would tell her that dad said I could go if it was ok with her, and she would usually say yes.
As I got older, I realized what I was doing was being manipulative, and it was not from the Holy Spirit. But getting that “yes,” increased my faith, and I realized God didn’t need my help when I asked Him for something. All I needed to do was to trust Him and accept His answer. Matthew 7:11 (NIV) says, “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!”
It’s important for us to remember that Jesus is not a vending machine where we are able to push a button and get what we want. What we ask for must be good in the eyesight of God. He will not give us bad gifts, or things that may harm us. If it’s not beneficial to us, then God might say no, no matter how hard we beg. God wants to give us good gifts. An example of God’s good gifts is the Holy Spirit, according to Luke 11:13. We begin to see a two-fold purpose of prayer to increase our understanding of what God calls “good” and to cultivate a desire in us for what is good. If a child asks his father for something the father knows to be hurtful, the request is denied. The child may be unhappy when he doesn’t get what he asked for, but he should trust his father. Likewise, when the child asks for something that the father knows is beneficial, the father will provide it eagerly because he loves his child.
SEEK:
Jesus tells us to “seek and we shall find.” In seeking we should be looking for God’s will in our lives. Mathew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God has already promised to provide us with everything we need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). There are many interpretations of this verse, but I believe if we trust God and His promises, then the only thing we should be seeking is His kingdom and His righteousness. What believers ought to be seeking is God Himself! “The young lion suffers want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10). God is not hiding from His children. His heart’s desire is for us to look for Him persistently and passionately and to see what He is doing all around us. “When we do, He promises He will be found (Proverbs 8:17). Seeking God’s kingdom means putting God’s plan before our own, seeking God’s righteousness means setting a priority on our personal walk and desiring to be more like Him. Once we establish a relationship with the Son, we must read our Bibles. There we will find out the requirements for living a righteous. Seeking is a matter of paying attention with an engaged mind and acute awareness.
KNOCK:
The final promise in this scripture Jesus tells us to “knock and the door shall be open.” This promise is equivalent to having a key to someone’s house. If you use the key, you are certain to open the door. In the same manner, Jesus assures us that if we knock the door will be open and our desires can be expressed. For a believer this is accomplished by praying in faith for God’s provision and be persistent, the way you would do if you knocked on my door; you would continue to knock until I opened it.
I have had the opportunity on numerous occasions to do Outreach Ministry where we would pair off and knock on doors. We had no way of knowing whether the door would be opened for us. Most of the times it would, and we would offer prayer. If the opportunity presented itself, we would share the gospel. I can remember being disappointed if the door wasn’t opened, especially if you knew someone was home. I imagine God’s heart is broken when He offers His Son and is refused.
So, believers if you have not activated these three promises you are missing out on some wonderful things that God wants to do for you. James 4:2 (KJV) says, “You have not because you ask not.” Isaiah 55:6 (KJV) says, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” Jesus is waiting for you to knock so he can let you in and hear the desires of you heart!
Scripture references for: ASK, SEEK, & KNOCK
Matthew 7:7
John 3:16, 14:6, 14:13-14
Matthew 7:11, 6:33
Luke 11:13
Philippians 4:19
Psalm 34:10
Proverbs 8:17
James 4:2
Isaiah 55:6
Cross Reference:
Matthew 27:22, I Kings 3:5, Matthew 6:33, Psalm 10:4, Psalm27:8, Luke 13:25 Psalms 34:4, 37:4, Isaiah 30:19, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:18,18:19, 21:22