Please explain what it means to ask, seek, and knock.
Matthew, chapters 5-7 give us the full report of the Lord’s so-called “Sermon on the Mount.” While Mark and Luke give us parts of this lecture, the complete lecture is only found in here Matthew 5-7. In this sermon, the Lord does not expound the Gospel of Grace, the way of salvation, or the privileges and blessings of true Christianity. The Sermon on the Mount is the announcement of the King concerning His Kingdom. In it, the King summarizes the character of His kingdom and the expected conduct of His subjects. The teachings are not for the unsaved as a way of salvation. Matthew 5:1-2 shows us the Lord is talking to His disciples, not to the crowds.
The expression, ‘kingdom of heaven’ is found 33 times in the Bible and is only mentioned in the book of Matthew. It really refers to ‘God’s kingdom under Heaven’. John the Baptist began announcing the kingdom as part of his ministry. He said in Matthew 3:2, “…Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Lord Jesus also began to speak of that kingdom when He said in Matthew 4:17, “…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
So, to answer your excellent question, let’s begin by reading the words of the Lord in Matthew 7:7-11, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask 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 which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
This whole passage gives to the believer a strong assurance of favorable answers to sincere prayers. The Lord instructs us to ask, seek, and knock. While it may seem like just repetition in His words, each one of these words carries its own unique meaning. Of course, each one is speaking of the mighty tool of prayer that belongs to everyone who has Christ as savior and Lord.
“Ask, and it shall be given you” – This gives the thought that for the things we need; we humbly bow to the Lord and simply ask Him. Those who try to use expressive and flattering words to the Lord are often further from the Lord than those who in simplicity and humility approach the Lord with their needs and simply lay them at His feet.
“Seek, and ye shall find” – We look for that which is missing in our lives. We look for that which we realize to be important in our lives, so we diligently search!
“Knock, and it shall be opened unto you” – To knock shows the respect that we use when approaching someone’s home. We don’t barge in, we knock and wait upon the kindness of the home owner to open his door and receive us into their home.
With all that said, let’s be very careful and not think that this means the Lord gives us a blank check and will answer every one of our prayers according to our desires. 1 John 5:14 tells us, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he heareth us.” The Lord answers our prayer according to His perfect and loving purpose towards us. There is a way given to us in God’s Word that does guarantee that we can ask the Lord anything and He will give it to us. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” When we truly delight in the Lord, giving Him first place in our lives, trusting Him completely…our desires will change and we will want the things the Lord wants us to have. (186.7)