The ASK of Prayer

UV 344/10,000 Luke 11 v 9 The ASK of prayer Luk 11:9 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Asking is associated with attitudes. When we ask the Lord, we must ask with an attitude of praise, thanksgiving and faith that He is able to do or give what we asked. We must also be prepared to submit to His sovereign will should He choose not to grant what we asked. We can be importunate like the neighbour whom Jesus spoke of who kept asking his neighbour for some loaves of bread. We must ask based on our need. We must ask in accordance with God ‘s Word and placing our complete confidence in God we must claim specific verses like uni-verses. Why must we ask when the Lord knows exactly what we need? The persistence and attitudes with which we ask is a measure of our faith in the Lord. We must not stop with asking. We must also seek for doors of opportunity. Seeking is associated with skills. We must keep looking to see where the Lord has left the very thing we asked Him for or the signs that lead up to it. We must seek with the persistence of the seeker in a treasure hunt. We must never give up or loose hope. The word “ shall” conveys the sense of absolute certainty for it is not ‘ The Lord may answer’ but that He “ shall answer. Having found the door of opportunity, the Lord says,” don’t just stand and stare at the door, you must knock”. Knocking is associated with knowledge. We must know which doors we should knock on and when we must knock. It is like the game that is played on television, “ Deal , no deal”. Only the Lord knows what door will lead to what eventuality in our lives. We must take steps to have the door opened. A simple knock on the door of heaven can often give us the answer to a complex problem we are facing. The door that God opens is the door He intends for us. No man or force can close this door. Last year, a preacher prophesied, “ God is going to open an unusual door for you very soon.” Soon after, I got a call saying I am invited to attend a World Police Mission in South Korea. I was anxious if I would get the mandatory clearances within the few hours available. But, the permissions were obtained in a matter of a few hours. Prayer and the answers to prayer is not a split second event or a one sided communication but it is a spiritual process in which the Lord partners us realizing His purpose in our work, in our relationships, in our thoughts, emotions, decisions and goals. Prateep V Philip