“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

Historically, a lot of our understanding of spiritual things has been shaped by Greeks, Romans and the Catholic Church. Thus, much of what is now done in church has more to do with Western traditions than the Bible. We do what our parents did and they did what their parents did. This is particularly true in the area of prayer.

Our prayer is often more about religious and cultural traditions, than the presence of God. For example, we bow our heads and close our eyes, while the Psalmist affirmed, “O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head” (Psalm 3:3). We also go on and on in prayer; using many words. We rarely consider the wisdom Solomon shared, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few”(Ecclesiastes 5:2).

These are really just a few examples among many. However you look at this, the time has come for Christians to better understand prayer. It can no longer be about traditions or what is comfortable for us. Ineffectiveness is no longer an option for those who claim the name of Jesus. It is time that
believers learn to grab hold of the presence and power of God!

While there is so much we can draw from in the scriptures,one biblical model we can really grab hold of is recounted in the gospel of Matthew. Here, in the context of clarifying prayer, Jesus boldly exclaimed, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) So, what we really need to learn how to do is “ask, seek and knock.” Let’s explore this a little further.

Asking
Don’t be mistaken, asking is always necessary in prayer. Yet, this simple act is very difficult for many believers - primarily because it requires great humility and focus. To be effective in prayer, you must not only be willing to lower yourself and express need, you must narrow your request. Your asking, among other things, becomes an occasion for training and character development. Through this process, many men and women of God have better understood the purposes of the Kingdom.

Seeking
Through the process of seeking God in prayer, you get your heart, mind, and all of who you are in line with His divine purposes. Yet, what does seeking God look like? Well, I have found that it is a matter of expressing great strength and fervency. Enthusiastically seeking God is not a quiet, gentle process; it involves great diligence and determination. As you really engage in seeking, you no longer have a “wait and see” attitude. Passivity is thrown by the wayside.

Knocking
Finally, the intense process of knocking will require an even more narrow approach. In this grueling spiritual practice, you must not only choose the right door, you have got to be ready to force it open. In knocking, you have determined the particular direction and purpose of your prayer. You are no longer distracted or confused with the objective. You know the clear direction your prayer should go.

Asking, seeking and knocking is foundational to prayer because it can transform your character and enable you to better experience the glory of Jesus. Thus, there is a bottom-line reason for prayer—and it is not the typical motive people have. You don’t pray for selfish reasons, you pray that you might proclaim and experience the presence of God.

When we finally learn to press into the deeper things of God – the way the Lord has determined in His Word - we will not only see a greater breakthrough in our prayers, we will also finally walk in His glory.

It is time that we come to understand prayer!