Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The three methods described in Matthew 7:7-8 are distinct, and there are different things to be gained by using each of them.
Part 1: Ask
There are always things we need that we don’t have, so we should be alert to ensure that we don’t miss the opportunity to gain the things we need to gain. We should ask for things in our daily lives because God wants to give to us what we are lacking. But only if we do our responsibility of asking.
By asking God, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Son, and the Lord, we set the condition to receive what They want to give us. Not only must we set the condition before receiving something, but there is a condition that we must uphold afterwards too. That is to be thankful and to realize what we have been given.
We should ask for things earnestly and sincerely, with a grateful heart, and we should ask for things in the name of the Lord. When asking God for something, we must tell God clearly how that need pertains to Him. We have to plead to God and ask Him to give it to us as if He has no other alternative.
By being united with God, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Son, we can receive things when the time is right. However, we must keep asking until things become available and God can give them to us. We must reflect on what we truly need, both physically and spiritually, and know clearly before asking. Asking doesn’t pertain only to things that benefit ourselves, but we should ask what we can do for God and for His purpose. We must truly realize the value of “asking”.
We must ask for things that are appropriate for the current time period, and we must ask for them at the right time in order to be able to use them. When the right time passes by, we can’t use something, even if it is given to us. Just as there is a set time for each of the four seasons, a person’s own time comes and goes throughout their daily life. Time is opportunity. We must each wait for our time and, when it comes, seize the moment by acting quickly while asking God. Once we receive something that we had asked for, we must use it valuably.
Part 2: Seek
When seeking something, you must search thoroughly. What you are seeking likely exists somewhere; you just need to look for it. But you shouldn’t do it by yourself; you should receive spiritual inspiration. Ask God and the Holy Spirit to help you search for what you are seeking, whether it is physical treasure or the deep feeling of first love for God. God works upon and helps those who love Him the most, so a person who loves God is the one who will search for and find what they are seeking. Thinking ahead to the future, you must think big in order to search for bigger things.
The easiest way to find what you are seeking is to pray, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, and then search for it using your soul. Your soul is spiritual and works while your physical body is asleep. Unlike our physical bodies, the soul is able to look through things, not just around them, and can find what our physical bodies may have missed. Furthermore, while searching for one thing, you often find something else at the same time that perhaps you weren’t even looking for. Therefore, always be alert while searching. Once you have found what you were seeking, you must truly thank God and value what you have received.
Part 3: Knock on the Door
If you knock on the door, what was locked will be opened for you. The Lord is the door. We must knock well by having good thoughts and good actions, so that the door will be opened. During tribulations and hardships, the door may seem locked, but once we go to the Lord and discuss our troubles with him, then the door of opportunity will be opened. If we knock on the Lord’s door, the door of our heart will also be opened. We can solve all our problems by knocking on the door of the Lord.