Ask, Seek, and Knock

There was a study done in 2014 on the percentage of christians that pray.

This is what the study found.

55% of Chritians pray at least once a day.

16% of Christians pray weekly.

6% of Christians pray monthly.

23% of Christians pray seldom/never.

1% of Christians don’t know how to pray.

When I looked at this study I began to look at my own life and ask these questions.

What would happen in my life if I prayed more and done other things less?

If i prayed more and watched less TV?

If I spent less time on my phone checking Facebook or Emails.

Is there any area of my life that would suffer if I prayed more?

Would i be less loving to my wife

Would i have less anoiting on my life as a preacher

would i have less wisdom in raising my kids

Is there any area of my life that would be worse off if i prayed more and the answer to those questions everytime is no.

Church I believe that if we prayed more we would see the presence of God show up in everything we do.

How much of your life is spent coming before the Lord with the things in your life

Jesus had all power and authority.

There was power in his touch. there was a blind man in John chapter 9 Jesus made mud and touch his eyes and he was healed.

There was a lepor cam and bowed before him and said Lord if your will make me clean and Jesus touch him and he was made whole.

There was a women with a issue of blood she had done everything she knew to do so she saw Jesus and she touched the hym of his garment and she was made hole. There was power in hgis touch.

There was power in his words.

He could speak to the winds and the sea and they obeyed

When Lazurus died Jesus came to the tomb where he was laid and he spoke and called Lazerus from the grave.

There was power in his words.

I want to ask you a question if you woke up with that kind of power would you feel the need to pray?

Jesus had all the power and authority and yet he still felt the need to pray.

The Bible says that he would get up early in the morning before the sun cam up and would pray.

Mark 1:35 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Sometime he would go and pray all night.

Luke 6:12 “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”

Sometime Jesus would draw away from people to go and pray.

matthew 14:23 “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,”

If Jesus had all power and authority and he felt the need to pray. Don’t you think that in our weak and sinful selves should feel the need for prayer in our own live?

Even the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them anything and whats the one they ask him to teach them? It was to pray.

Church there is power in prayer and you have a heavenly father that loves to hear from you.

Today I’m going to be preaching out of Matthew 7:7-11 ““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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Pray!

There are 3 cammand give in this passage.

ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK

Ask and It will be given to you.

What are you asking God for in your life?

When you pray are you praying with expectancy like a child coming to his father.

Knowing that God will hear Knowing that God cares and will answer when we ask.

The Cross is Behind ASK

2. I don’t want you to miss what’s behind the word ask. The Cross of Christ is behind that word.

Its because of the cross that we can come and ask.

It’s the price that was paid so that you and I can come to the Father and ask anything in Jesus name and it will be given

It’s because of the cross That we can come boldly to the throne of grace in Hebrews 4:16.

Liten because of the cross we can ask anything in his name.

Hes says in verse 8 everyone whos asks receives

Jesus has made a way that everyone that comes to the father can ask and receive.

The Cross of Christ is behind the word ask own our own were seperated from God But becuse of the cross Christ made away for us to come to the father.

So we can ask with expectancy because of the cross.

Look with me at Matthew 7:9-11 “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The Father gives good things to those who ask.

Like a child coming to a father.

I want you to think about this for just a second. In verse 9 it says Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone.

Keyla is all grown up now but i want you to imagen with me that shes still little and she’s been outside playing.

She comes in the house about 4 in the afternoon and says to her mom I’m hungry can i have a piece of bread.

Whats she going to say?

She might say sure keyla here is a piece of bread.

She might say no keyla its 4 oclock we will eat at 5:30 and if you eat now you will ruin you appitie.

So she mighty say yes here some bread

she might say no you can’t have bread its to close to supper.

she might say i just baked a batch of chocolete chip cookies would you like to have that instead of the piece of bread.

She might say yes

she might say no

she might say i have something better for you.

But is there any parent in here that if you child came and ask for bread would hand him a round brown stone and say here kid sink your teeth into this.

I wouldn’t do that and the Bible says that I’m evil and your evil to.

so if you and I are both evil and know how to give good gift how much mor will your father in heaven give us good gifts if we ask him.

Listen God has different way that he answers our prayers.

Sometimes he says no. you ask and he says no.

some people think that no isn’t a answer . no is an answer and if you’ve got teenagers her you’ve used the word no in the last 6 months.

Listen I had rather have God’s no than anybody elses yes . why because he loves me and his no is always protecting me from somthing that could harm me.

so i had rather have his no

sometimes God says yes Here is the answer to your prayer.

Sometimes God says I know what you have asked for but I’m going to give you something better.

God may say No he may say yes or he may say i have something better.

God will never give you something bad when you ask for something good because he loves you with his heart.

I want to challenge you when you ask ask big.

A man had a ministry oppertunity that he needed to raise money for. He needed to raise $20,000

So he goes to one of his wealty friends and shares the nministry oppertunity with him and explains that he needs to raise $20,000. So his friend pulls out his check book and says how much do you want me to give?

The man says I’d love if you could give $2000. The man writes the check and slides it across the desk and says you just insuled me, The man said i’m so sorry $2000 is a lot of money I shuldn’t have asked for so much.

The man said you missunderstand me You said you needed $20,000 you ask for $2000 you insulted me .

You either underestamate where i am finacaly and you have insulted my resources and my ability to give

Or you think I have $20,000 and I’m to stingy to give it.

He look at him and said don’t ever be afraid to ask for the big things Because the worst that can happen is you’ll be told no

and the best that can happen is you’ll get what you ask for.

He learned a valuable lesson that day When you ask ask big because the worst that can happen is no.

God wants to teach us to no be afraid to ask for the big things.

Church Remember when you ask your coming Before a king and not just any king

He is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords

he owns it all

So when you ask ask Big

I’m not talking about asking for a bigger house or a new car or big promotion

to many times we come before a god that ownes it all and we ask for crtches when he wants to give us wings

I’m talking about bigger things than that.

I’m talking about coming to God and asking things like

God I want to win my neighor to Christ.

God I want you to work in my life to bring more people to you.

Praying for your children to grow up and Love Jesus and serve him

Those are big Prayers

When your praying for your children to have godly mates

when your praying for the people you know that are lost to come to jesus

When we pray as a church God give us favor in this community to reach the lost and hurting poeple and bring them to jesus

Those are big prayers.

When you ask ask big because nothing is to big for our God.

not only do we need to ask but in our asking we need to be seeking.

Matthew 7:7-8 ““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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Seek means to pray with effort.

seek and you will find.

The word seek means to hunt to search for something to look with determination.

Listen it’s possible to ask and not seek.

Seeking moves beyond just asking God for something.

Seeking is asking God what do you want me to do so that i can be part of the answer to my prayer.

Seeking is a surrender word.

When we pray we are looking for answers but God is looking for surrender in our lives and maybe that’s the reason we don’t receive What we are asking for is our heart isn’t in a place of surrender to Gods purpose

James says you have not because you ask not and when you do ask you ask amiss and spend it on your own pleasure.

as I’ve looked at my prayer life I’m selfish i Ask about me me me and if your honest and begin to look at your prayers you’ll see the selfishness in them to.

This is the place God wants uswhen we ask is to be in a place of surrender where we say God I’m will to lay down whatever for you to see this pray come to light.

Story of boy in store.

There was a man in the store with his son and his son asked for a toy on the toy aisle The had one left on the shelf and his dad said no. So they came back another day to get the toy and they didn’t have it.

The little boy asked his dad if we see the toy again will you get it for me and the dad said yes. from that moment on every store that they went into the little boy was seeking to find that toy. At walmart, KB toys, Tot r us, every store they went in he was looking. but his dad began to notice that jhe wouldn’t go down certian asiles. He wouldn’t go down the girls toy asile.

So he asked his son Do you think maybe by mistake somebody put it on the wrong asile. his son looked at him like really I’m not going down the girls asile to look for the toy.

Alot of times as we come to God and ask and God comes to us and says the answer to your prayer is in the asile of surrender and obedience.

And we look at God and say Ill go down this asile as many time as you ask but i’m not going Down that asile

Church when we tell God I won’t seek the answer to my prayer there we are standing in our own way of God answering our prayers.

It looks like this God I want you to heal my marraige but im not willing to forgive my spouce.

I’m praying God bless my Finaces but i’m not willing to be obedient and tithe

God I want you to do something in the lives of my childfren but im not willing to lead them spiritually

Im praying for my neigbors to be saved but im not willing to go witness to tyhem

When were not surrendered in prayer were not seeking.

When we lay down our lives in surrendder. when we say God whatever you want me to do to be part of your answer to my prayer . we will see God show up in our lives through that surrender.

Next Jesus says to Knock.

Matthew 7:7-8 ““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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

to knock is to pray with endurance.

all of these commands are continus

What he’s saying is keep asking, keep seeking ,keep knocking,

so many times we Knock and we don’t see the door open and we just stop kocking. Jesus is say keep kocking and door will open

Listen the door that your knocking on belongs to the God that loves you and sent his son to die for you. Listen if he loves you enough to send his son to die.

If he did that will he not also open the door to your prayers.

I want to ask you is there any area of your life that’s not surrendered to God through prayer?

There was a blind man that in his persistance recived his sight he didn’t stop knocking.

Luke 18:35-43 “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

I want to ask you is there any area of your life that’s not surrendered to God through prayer?

Are you in a place where you say to God I’ll go down any asile but that asile and today you need to come to the place of surrender and obedience.

maybe your here today and your like the blind man and you heard that Jesus is coming and your not going to stop knocking on the door in the name of jesus Until you get the answer your looking for.