Ask, And You Will Receive, Part I

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (1) "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (2)

"To leave no chance for unbelief, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation of His words, the Lord repeats the thrice-given promise. He longs to have those who would seek after God believe in Him who is able to do all things. Therefore He adds, 'For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.' (3)

"The Lord specifies no conditions except that you hunger for His mercy, desire His counsel, and long for His love.

" 'Ask.' The asking, makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith you will receive. The Lord has pledged His word, and it cannot fail. If you come with true contrition you need not feel that you are presumptuous in asking for what the Lord has promised. When you ask for the blessings you need, that you may perfect a character after Christ's likeness, the Lord assures you that you are asking according to a promise that will be verified. That you feel and know you are a sinner is sufficient ground for asking for His mercy and compassion. The condition upon which you may come to God is not that you shall be holy, but that you desire Him to cleanse you from all sin and purify you from all iniquity. The argument that we may plead now and ever is our great need, our utterly helpless state, that makes Him and His redeeming power a necessity.

" 'Seek.' Desire not merely His blessing, but Himself. 'Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.' (4) Seek, and you shall find. God is seeking you, and the very desire you feel to come to Him is but the drawing of His Spirit. Yield to that drawing. Christ is pleading the cause of the tempted, the erring, and the faithless. He is seeking to lift them into companionship with Himself. 'If you seek Him, He will be found by you.' (5)" (6)

1. Matthew 7:7.
2. John 16:24.
3. Matthew 7:8.
4. Job 22:21.
5. 1 Chronicles 28:9.
6. Thoughts From The Mount Of Blessing, pp., 130, 131.