A.S.K
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7, KJV)
A.S.K is an acronym I use for ask, seek and knock as described in the verse above. Jesus says “ask, and it shall be given to you. He goes on to say seek, and ye shall find. He takes another step further and tells us to knock, and the door will be opened for you. What do these things mean?
Asking, seeking and knocking the door are the means by which we make our needs known to God and request or petition Him for a solution or a heavenly intervention. When we are in a situation that needs a divine intervention, we approach Him through A.S.K.
Jesus began with “A”, the “ask”. It is the most straightforward means that everyone knows about getting God to “answer our prayers”. It is a verbal request to God to do something to meet a need we have. Some people do not have their needs met because they just would not ask. Learn to ask. It sometimes takes guts to ask, but if you need your needs met, learn to ask God for what you need.
The next level beyond “A” is the “S” for “seek”. Some things will not respond to mere asking. Asking is active, but is more passive relative to seeking. Seeking goes beyond words. It takes an extra step to provoke the desired response. This is crucial, especially in our walk of faith. Asking requires faith but seeking starts acting out faith. Let me use a simple illustration. Imagine you are in need of money. You can sit there and pray for God to give you the amount you need to meet the need. That is asking. There is nothing wrong with it. God will respond as you trust Him. However, seeking is not just praying and asking God but going out there to do something, such as making phone calls for a job, putting some extra work in that business, etc. You see, God will use that extra step you have taken to make a way out. Seeking takes a step beyond asking.
The last step is “K” for “knock”. It is higher than mere asking or even seeking. It is the stage that the “violent take their possession by force”. Knocking at the door is the step where you are at the door of your miracle or blessing and you refuse to wait outside but knock at the door for it to open. It is the step where you overcome any obstacles that are on your way as you seek. A closed door represents a barrier or obstacle. For example, the woman with bleeding took a step of faith to go to Jesus. She had probably asked God for healing many times. She got tired of asking and took a step to go to Jesus. This is seeking. There are things that will require us to seek God beyond just “asking in faith”. While this woman was seeking, something happened. She encountered barriers that could have stopped her. She was a woman, bleeding in the midst of men and that could potentially result in her death. He crushed the obstacles and refused to be stopped. She was knocking the door for her healing!
The Lord says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”.
MEDITATE
Take a moment to think about what you have just read. What is the difference between asking, seeking and knocking?
APPLY THE WORD
What is your typical spiritual attitude? Are you the type that will crumble if there is not a response to what you “asked God for”? Or maybe you are the type that will take an extra step, put to seek God for something. There are some of you who are “knockers.” You know God’s will. You refuse to take a “no” because you know that “no” is not from God. You seek, and if any door shuts before you, you knock for it to be opened because what is in the room is yours! I need not tell you that God is well pleased with faith, with those who can move from asking to seeking and to knocking!
PRAY
Ask the Lord to help you grow in all areas of A.S.K
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