“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.”

Matthew 7:7, 8

Ask, seek, knock.  Jesus uses these three active words to describe prayer.  Let me reflect, with you, on what Jesus is teaching.

Ask.  Jesus is probably talking about running out of resources completely. Now what? Ask out of desperation, not simply out of want.  For me, prayer is almost an add-on, a sort of, “by the way, if it is not too much bother, could you do this for me?  I would be happy if you do what I am asking.”

Sometimes is seems to me a well-ordered life leaves nothing to chance. If we manage well, cover all the bases, so to speak, then, why pray?

Seek.  This requires great diligence and persistence.  Now and again I lose something, unfortunately.  Then I turn all my attention to seeking for what I have lost.  Or maybe I am asking for something I never had.  Please, do not bother me when I am seeking.  Seeking means focusing all attention on that we seek.  Nothing can deter us.  That, I believe, is what Jesus is stressing.  The way of Christ requires all our senses, so to speak.

Knock.  A knocker is not a demander!  Knocking implies supplication. When we run out of something, we humbly ask a neighbor to help, knocking on the door resolutely and persistent, but never in pride, for we bring our want not our fullness.  That is prayer.

My soul, help me to see prayer as asking, seeking and knocking.  Amen