A Prayer about Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Ask, and it will be given unto you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Lord Jesus,

You know the tears of longing and confusion 

this verse brings many of us. 

For we have asked and continued asking, 

daily, unceasingly, for years….

For a spouse, 

for a baby, 

for work that pays the bills, 

for preservation in the storm, 

for healing, 

for the return of a spiritually lost loved one…

The list goes on and on.

As we read the words that come before this verse 

in the Sermon on the Mount, 

we realize you are telling your disciples 

to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, 

not only for material provision, 

but also for spiritual strength 

to love others, 

even enemies, 

to swallow our judgmental tongues

as you do. 

You do call us also 

to keep praying for the “desire of our heart,” 

for the “good gifts” 

our Heavenly Father gives us. 

We must confess, 

we don’t understand how it all works, 

but we continue to pray and trust 

that our Father is good. 

We continue to pray and trust 

that the Father who allowed you, our Savior, 

to die for us that we might be redeemed,

will redeem and restore all broken things. 

We continue to pray, 

trusting that our Father collects our prayers, 

he hears them, 

and he cares. (See Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:2). 

In your faithful name we pray.

Amen.

Read Matthew 7:1-12; Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:2.