“Ask, … Seek … And Knock” Matt 7:7-11

We Are Expected To Ask for the Things God Has Promised. “ask and it shall be given.” This same principle is stated in the negative in James 4:2 “… you do not have because you do not ask.” Don’t those words describe the church as you know it today? EVERY SELF EFFORT FAILS. The venerable evangelist preacher of the early nineteen hundreds Dr. R.A. Torrey said, “We do not live in a praying age. We live in an age of hustle and bustle, of man’s efforts and man’s determination, of man’s confidence in himself and his own power to achieve things, an age of human organization, and human machinery, and human push, and human scheming, and human achievement; which in the things of God means no real achievement at all.” “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” There are two certainties when we pray. One is that God hears every prayer. The other certainty is that God always answers. This verse says for ‘everyone who asks receives,” did I read that right? Yes, it says everyone receives! But we have the misconception that the only possible answer to prayer is yes. There are two other possibilities. God can say, No or he can say, Not Yet. WHAT YOU DID NOT ASK GOD GAVE. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” HE GIVES YOU EXCELLENT THINGS. A lady once asked God for the most handsome person. The Lord pointed to her the handsome person. But at the same time showed her how wicked he was. The lady dropped the idea of getting the most handsome person but the man who loved God and will take care of her till the very end. SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND. Many times over the years people have expressed to me they were trying to find God's will for their lives. Often they make statements like "I really do not know what God wants me to do."          We first must determine what the person means by their statement they are seeking God's will. Are they seeking to know? 1. What they should be doing today 2. What they will be doing in the future 3. If God has some special thing He wants them to do?          There is really no mystery to the matter and the answer to all these questions is actually quite simple. Let us look at this matter of finding God's will for our lives in two categories:        God's present will for me and God's future will for me. SEEKING GOD. Romans 12:1 begins with a simple but profound statement..."I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." B. Note there are three specific statements which will accomplish "proving, that good, acceptable and perfect will of God. 1. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. V1 2. By not conformed to this world. V2 3. By transformed by the renewing of your mind. V2 I hear of many testimonies of people who do not believe in the Lord Jesus but they want to know who God is and they found Him. One Muslim boy who was seeking for God and I told him ask God to appear to you in a dream or vision. He saw Jesus in White Clothing told him that He is God. Another Muslim lady from Indonesia also was searching for God and she saw Jesus in her vision. The next day she came to me wanting to believe in Jesus. KNOCKING IS THE GREATEST KEY FOR FUTURE SUCCESS. KNOCKING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS IN A CHRISTIAN LIFE. DO NOT STOP KNOCKING. DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR KNOCKING. IF YOU KEEP ON KNOCKING THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED. THE WICKED JUDGE WHO GAVE JUSTICE TO A WIDOW. Luke 18:1-8 [18:1] Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' [4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " [6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" THE JUDGE DID NOT FEAR GOD NOR MEN. The phrase "feared God" refers to piety, faith in God, and recognition that He will judge the sons of men. The judge had no regard for God's justice. The phrase "cared about" (NIV) or "respected" (KJV) is Greek entrepo, "to show deference to a person in recognition of special status. How much more God will answer all your prayers. The judge was wicked. Yet when the widow kept knocking persistently at Judges door he was unable to stand her anymore. God is not like that but He wants the children to keep on ask, seeking and also knocking. So that our lives will be on total dependent on Him alone. CLOSE: KEEP ON ASKING KEEP ON SEEKING KEEP ON KNOCKING. Areas to ask Your family. Church building (funds, location.) Sunday Service (pray more musicians, children church(teachers) Friday Bible Study good attendance. Tuesday prayer meeting. Morning prayer led by the Holy Spirit. (Teaching on 100 days favor of God. By Joseph Prince. Pray that the giving in Tithes and offering will increase in Jesus name.