Like many scriptures, Matthew 7:7-8 is a rather famous one that has been repeated and quoted many times by both followers and non-followers of Christ. It is also one which I have heard all throughout my life, but never really understood, and it states the following:

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” 

Now on the surface it seems quite simple, and it may indeed be simple to some of you, but speaking only for myself I can say, hat though I have heard this scripture plenty of times, I always misunderstood it as, ask and receive. Stop.

Of course some of you may say “well James, it does say to ask and receive”. Yes, asking is the first step, but it is the first step in a set of three-step instructions.

Jesus is telling us here one of the pearls of faith.  Think of it this way: I go up to my Father, and I ask him for candy, and He says sure son, go find the candy you want and I will buy it for you.”

Now I have completed step one, I have asked… now I am onto step two, seeking.

Now I look for a bunch of candy stores, and compile a list. Now I have completed step two, and am on to step three, knocking.

I go to each candy store and ask if they have the candy I want and how much it costs, and now my Father will buy it for me.

This of course is a simplistic worldly example of a spiritual principle. In more spiritual terms, what Jesus is trying to teach in the scripture verses above is that we first are to ask Him for what we want (in accordance with His will), then in faith that He shall work it out for us, we are to proceed with the plan, trusting in Him completely.

To use a real example from my own life: There was a computer game I really wanted as a child. I asked my parents for it, and they told me that I would get it for my birthday (which was still several months away). Yet even though the wait was long, I had complete trust that the game was already mine because it was promised me. In-fact I was so very certain of this fact that I researched all the strategy guides for the game, and talked about play-tactics and styles with friends as if the game was already at my house!

That, in its simplest form is an example of faith… the faith of a child, the kind of faith that the Lord loves the most.

All of the promises of God are most assuredly ours. He does not lie, and all of His promises are true. Our problem today is that we truly do not believe.

If we today were in the same situation that I was with my game, we would probably say “I will not waste my time researching these strategies because I might not really receive the game.”

Or…

”I’ll wait to see if I get the game first, and then research these things.”

We suffer from a severe lack of faith in our Lord today, and as a result we don’t see the things He promises us anymore.

We can’t have a real connection with our vine if we do not get to know Him or trust His words.

So today, let us start forming a real connection to Him; trusting in Him and watching as He comes through with what He has promised us.

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