Every prayer of a child of God (or a righteous person) should live with the posture that my prayers are guaranteed to be answered because I pray according to God’s will. This mindset should be in the heart of every believer – my prayers are always answered and also, I am in expectation of the manifestation of your answered prayer.
“So, I say to you, 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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9-13)
Following the teachings of Jesus – our Lord and Saviour, it is clear that He expects that every one of His that asks will be given; anyone who seeks from God finds; and anyone who knocks the door of God for anything that is in His will, the door will be opened.
This statement that Jesus made did not contain any doubt about the outcome of asking, seeking, and knocking…before God. It is guaranteed. Jesus goes on to appeal to the parents in the crowd i.e., the good parents in the crowd listening to Him. He said:
If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Reading into this gives me the following conclusions:
- Even a bad father will give a response, answer, or grant a sort of request. This is clear as Jesus’ illustration shows that there was a response from even a bad father.
- What is required of me is to “ask”, “seek” and “knock”! It is done.
- The will of God for me is everything that pertains to life and godliness; everything in His promise; everything written in the word of God for me.
Jesus therefore concluded that:
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
The word “evil” here is only in comparison to God. No matter how good you are, your goodness is nothing in comparison to God. If we who are not as good as God know how to give good gifts to our children to the best of our ability, how much more God!
