Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking

The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2019, highlights the importance of praying and receiving answers to our prayers:

Matthew 7:7-8 (Amplified Bible):

[Prayer and the Golden Rule] “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.

In thinking about this passage, we recognize the Greek New Testament expresses the three verbs in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents until the parent relents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock in our petitions to God, our Father.

This passage inspired an acrostic poem that spells out the word “a-s-k,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in this excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount. Here are lyrics to a scripture memory song based on

Matthew 7:7-8:

Ask and it shall be given you;
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.
Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

For everyone who asks receives.
He who seeks finds.
And to him who knocks, it shall be opened.
Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.
Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.
Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.
Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.
Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.
Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.
Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.
Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.
Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.
Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

This passage also brings to mind Luke 18:1-7 where Jesus Christ illustrates the power of persistence in getting answers to prayer when he shares a parable teaching “that men ought to pray and not give up and lose heart.” The principal characters are a self-righteous judge “who did not fear God and had no respect for man.” The judge encounters “a desperate] widow,” who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.” For a time he did not respond to her persistent requests; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’”

The Lord Jesus ends the parable by saying “Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? 8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 reinforces the exhortation to be persistent in prayer with this reminder to “pray without ceasing.” Certainly, this does not mean believers need to walk around with clasped hands and closed eyes. We cannot remain on bended knee all day every day, but we can express our gratitude to God in everything we say and do, as we maintain a perpetual attitude of gratitude called “Thanksliving.”

The passage from Luke 18 and the words from 1 Thessalonians 5 combine in these lyrics:

We ought always to pray and not to faint.
We ought always to pray and not to faint.
We ought always to pray and not to faint.
To pray, pray, pray, pray, pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We close as the Las Vegas Community Choir offers this stirring reminder: “Ask, and It Shall Be Given Unto You”:

Seek the Lord

The Verse of the Day for October 5, 2018 comes from Isaiah 55:6, but to round out the context, we add verses 7-9:

Isaiah 55:6-9 (Revised Standard Version):

“Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The New Living Translation puts it this way:

Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. ‎7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. ‎8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ‎9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Previous blog posts on this passage have focused on the distinction between the ways of God and the ways of man. Today, however, we would like to emphasize the opening exhortation from verse 5 to “Seek the Lord.” This expression appears in the Psalms and elsewhere as a reminder of where our focus should be as believers.

To seek is to pursue, to put forth a diligent effort. The Psalmist also encourages us in this way:

Psalm 105:3-4

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually!

In the Gospels Jesus Christ encourages his followers not only to seek but to ask and to knock as well:

Matthew 7:7-8 (New Living Translation)

[Effective Prayer] “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This celebrated passage reveals that seeking will be rewarded, as expressed in the lyrics to this song shown as an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7.

Ask and it shall be given you;
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

For everyone who asks receives
He who seeks finds
And to him who knocks, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

Certainly this principle applies when seeking the Lord: that those who seek the Lord will find Him. Hosea speaks of a time when seeking the Lord will be rewarded:

Hosea 10:12

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you.

Reflecting on the Verse of the Day inspired this response:

Seek the Lord

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
Isaiah 55:6

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon Him while He is near;
Draw close; abide in the fullness of His presence. Have no fear
Come boldly before Him to find grace to help in time of need,
Trust the surety of His promises, and you will succeed.
Keep your ears near to the lips of God that you might clearly hear.

With more than enough to restore each loss, no matter how severe,
As a good shepherd provides, the Lord, our God, supplies each need.
Seek the Lord while he may be found.

As the Day Star rises and the hope of Christ’s return draws near,
Continue to move ahead as pioneers on a love frontier.
Trust in the Lord and follow His will wherever it may lead
God is always speaking that we might not only hear but heed.
Fight the good fight of faith as you stand to the end: persevere.
Seek the Lord while he may be found.

We conclude with a Christian Worship and Scripture Song from Isaiah 55:6-9:

Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking

The following blog entry originally posted a year ago has been modified and re-posted below: The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2018 comes from Matthew 7:7-8. Here is a rendering from the New Living Translation:

[Effective Prayer] “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This particular translation recognizes that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

In reflecting on the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, I thought of the last phrase of the 8th verse: “. . . and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Revelation 3:20 came to mind where the Master declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and openeth the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.”

In the Bible, eating with someone was a most intimate act. One did not eat with strangers or those outside his most intimate circle of family and friends. In that light, Revelation 3:20 takes on even more significance as an invitation to intimacy. Luke 24 speaks of Jesus and the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and of their breaking bread together, a time of intense intimacy when Jesus opened the eyes of their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. This unfolding of Himself as revealed in the Scriptures occurred during a meal, a time of wonderfully rich fellowship and intimacy.

About 15 years ago I wrote a scripture memory song using Matthew 7:7-8, and I also recall composing a song that we used to sing before serving our lunch at the summer program for school-age children where I worked. It is based in part on the passage from Revelation:

Come and dine with me, Jesus said
Come and dine with me, Jesus said
I’ve prepared a table to set before you
Come and dine with me, Jesus said

A few years later after having composed the first scripture memory song, I also realized that the verb A-S-K forms an acrostic which is the poetic form of the following:

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.
Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.
Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.
Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.
Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.
Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.
Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.
Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.
Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock
Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

We close with a reminder of Matthew 7:7-8 from the Las Vegas Community Choir:

Ask, seek, and knock

The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2017 offers three powerful commands spoken by Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:7-8 expressed in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition:

Matthew 7:7-8 (AMPC)

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.

The passage brings to mind a scripture memory song whose lyrics reveal an acrostic poem that spells out the word “a-s-k,” the first three letters of which express the three verbs found in verse 7.

Ask, Seek and Knock (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV)

Ask and it shall be given to you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asks receives.

The one who seeks finds;

And to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

 

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

 

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

In thinking about the passage from Matthew 7:7-8, especially in the Classic Edition of the Amplified Bible, we recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

Integrity Music offers this lively rendition of Matthew 7:7-8 with the commands spoken by Jesus Christ:

Keep on asking, seeking, knocking

Revised and re-posted is the Verse of the Day for June 13, 2016 which is found in Luke 11:13 in the Amplified Bible:

If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

To understand more fully this verse, we need to examine the context of the statement made by the Lord Jesus Christ and look at Luke 11: 1-13 where we find Jesus Christ praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, “as John also taught his disciples.” The Lord goes on to teach them what has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. He goes on to offer an illustration of exactly what it means to pray in Luke 11:5-13 (KJV):

⁵ And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

⁶ For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

⁷ And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

⁸ I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

¹¹ If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

¹² Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

A key component of prayer is asking which is emphasized in verses 9 and 10. A similar expression is used in Matthew 7:7-8:

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.

The passage from Luke 11: 9-10 and Matthew 7:7-8 brought to mind an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 on the other.

In thinking about the two passages, I recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock:

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

 

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

 

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every ticktock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

Matthew 7:7-8 is set to music by Janna Long and Truth:

Keep asking, seeking, knocking

Originally posted a year ago, the following blog entry is modified and re-posted below:

The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2016 comes from Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV):

[Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking] “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened

This passage brought to mind a scripture memory song composed more than 16 years ago. The arrangement of the lyrics shows an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In addition to singing the lyrics, the song involved gestures that reinforced the message. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 (KJV) on the other. Here are the lyrics to the simple song:

Ask and it shall be given you;
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

For everyone who asketh receiveth.
He that seeketh findeth.
And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.
Ask, seek and knock.

In reflecting on the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, I thought of the last phrase of the 8th verse: “. . . and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Revelation 3:20 came to mind where the Master declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and openeth the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.”

In discussing Orientalisms or Eastern customs and manners found in Scripture, Bishop KC Pillai, converted Hindu Bible teacher, notes that eating with someone was a most intimate act. One did not eat with strangers or those outside his most intimate circle of family and friends. In that light, Revelation 3:20 takes on even more significance as an invitation to intimacy. Luke 24 speaks of Jesus and the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and of their breaking bread together, a time of intense intimacy when Jesus opened the eyes of their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. This unfolding of Himself as revealed in the Scriptures occurred during a meal, a time of wonderfully rich fellowship and intimacy.

During the same period when I wrote the scripture memory song using Matthew 7:7-8, I also recall composing a song that we used to sing before serving our lunch at the summer program for school-age children where I worked. It is based in part on the passage from Revelation:

Come and dine with me, Jesus said
Come and dine with me, Jesus said
I’ve prepared a table to set before you
Come and dine with me, Jesus said

In thinking about the passage from Matthew 7:7-8, we recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the New King James Version we find a similar preface in brackets before the actual scripture. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

A few years later after having composed the first scripture memory song, I also wrote another acrostic poem whose lyrics became another song based on the same passage:

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.
Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.
Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.
Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.
Each day adds another victory toward our winning streak.
Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize we seek.

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.
Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.
Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.
Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.
Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

Kim McFarland and the Thompson Community Singers offer this stirring reminder: “Just Ask in My Name”

Just ask: It’s just that simple

The Verse of the Day for June 13, 2014 is found in Luke 11:13 (KJV):

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The context of the statement made by the Lord Jesus Christ is found in Luke 11: 1-13 where he teaches what it means to pray. Here we find Jesus Christ praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, “as John also taught his disciples.” The Lord goes on to teach them what has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. He goes on to offer an illustration of what it means to pray in Luke 11:5-13. A key component of prayer is asking, which is emphasized in verses 9 and 10, leading up to verse 13.

⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

A similar expression is used in Matthew 7:7-8:

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.

The passage from Luke 11: 9-10 and Matthew 7:7-8 brought to mind a scripture memory song that I composed more than 10 years ago. The arrangement of the lyrics shows an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 on the other.

In thinking about the two passages, I recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock:

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

*******************************************

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

*******************************************

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

To ask is to articulate a request, to put in words your heart’s desires. Philippians 4:6-7 in the Amplified Bible (AMP) puts it this way:

⁶ Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

⁷ And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The essence of the discussion regarding our asking in the context prayer or letting our requests be made known to God is found in Mark 11:24 expressed in three different versions:

²⁴ For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. [Amplified Bible]

²⁴ Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them. [Holman Christian Standard Bible]

²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. [New King James]

To end this entry Kim McFarland and the Thompson Community Singers offer this stirring reminder: “Just Ask in My Name.”

Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking

The following blog entry originally posted a year ago is modified and re-posted below:

Matthew 7:7-8 (New Living Translation)

[Effective Prayer] “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2015 brought to mind a scripture memory song composed more than 10 years ago. The arrangement of the lyrics shows an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 (KJV) on the other.

Ask and it shall be given you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asketh receiveth.

He that seeketh findeth.

And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

In reflecting on the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, I thought of the last phrase of the 8th verse: “. . . and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Revelation 3:20 came to mind where the Master declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and openeth the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.”

In the Bible, eating with someone was a most intimate act. One did not eat with strangers or those outside his most intimate circle of family and friends. In that light, Revelation 3:20 takes on even more significance as an invitation to intimacy. Luke 24 speaks of Jesus and the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and of their breaking bread together, a time of intense intimacy when Jesus opened the eyes of their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. This unfolding of Himself as revealed in the Scriptures occurred during a meal, a time of wonderfully rich fellowship and intimacy.

During the same period when I wrote the scripture memory song using Matthew 7:7-8, I also recall composing a song that we used to sing before serving our lunch at the summer program for school-age children where I worked. It is based in part on the passage from Revelation:

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

I’ve prepared a table to set before you

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

In thinking about the passage from Matthew 7:7-8, I recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

A few years later after having composed the first scripture memory song, I also wrote another song based on the same passage:

 

Ask, Seek and Knock (Matthew 7:7-8)

Ask and it shall be given you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asketh receiveth.

He that seeketh findeth.

And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

 

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

 

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

 

Kim McFarland and the Thompson Community Singers offer this stirring reminder: “Just Ask in My Name”

How to pray: Ask, seek, knock

The Verse of the Day for June 13, 2014 is found in Luke 11:13 (KJV):

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In order to understand more fully this verse, we need to examine the context of the statement made by the Lord Jesus Christ and look at Luke 11: 1-13:

Here we find Jesus Christ praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, “as John also taught his disciples.” The Lord goes on to teach them what has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. He goes on to offer an illustration of what it means to pray in Luke 11:5-13:

⁵ And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

⁶ For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

⁷ And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

⁸ I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

¹¹ If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

¹² Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

A key component of prayer is asking which is emphasized in verses 9 and 10. A similar expression is used in Matthew 7:7-8:

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.

The passage from Luke 11: 9-10 and Matthew 7:7-8 brought to mind a scripture memory song that I composed more than 10 years ago. The arrangement of the lyrics shows an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 on the other.

In thinking about the two passages, I recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

A few years I composed a scripture memory song based on the same passage:

Ask, Seek and Knock (Matthew 7:7-8)

Ask and it shall be given you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asketh receiveth.

He that seeketh findeth.

And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

 

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

 

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

 

Kim McFarland and the Thompson Community Singers offer this stirring reminder: “Just Ask in My Name”

 

 

Matthew 7:7-8: Ask, Seek, and Knock

The Verse of the Day for January 22, 2014 brought to mind a scripture memory song that I composed more than 10 years ago. The arrangement of the lyrics shows an acrostic poem that spells out the word “ask,” the first three letters of which form the three verbs found in verse 7. In a prayer notebook that I once had, I recall having a card with the words “Ask God” on one side and Matthew 7:7, 8 on the other.

Ask and it shall be given you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asketh receiveth.

He that seeketh findeth.

And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

In reflecting on the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, my mind especially went to the last phrase of the 8th verse: “. . . and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”  Revelation 3:20 came to mind where the Master declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If any man hear my voice and openeth the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.”

In the Bible, eating with someone was a most intimate act.  One did not eat with strangers or those outside his most intimate circle of family and friends. In that light, Revelation 3:20 takes on even more significance as an invitation to intimacy.  Luke 24 speaks of Jesus and the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and of their breaking bread together, a time of intense intimacy when Jesus opened the eyes of their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.  This unfolding of Himself as revealed in the Scriptures occurred during a meal, a time of wonderfully rich fellowship and intimacy.

During the same period when I wrote the scripture memory song using Matthew 7:7-8, I also recall composing a song that we used to sing before serving our lunch at the summer program for school-age children where I worked. It is based in part on the passage from Revelation:

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

I’ve prepared a table to set before you

Come and dine with me, Jesus said

In thinking about the passage from Matthew 7:7-8, I recognize that in the Greek New Testament the three verbs are expressed in the present progressive tense: meaning keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In the same manner that a child will keep asking for a treat while shopping with his or her parents, Jesus Christ says to continue to ask, continue to seek, continue to knock.

A few years later after having composed the first scripture memory song, I also wrote another song based on the same passage:

 

Ask, Seek and Knock (Matthew 7:7-8)

Ask and it shall be given you;

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it shall be opened unto to you.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

For everyone who asketh receiveth.

He that seeketh findeth.

And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Ask, seek and knock.

Ask, seek and knock.

 

Always ask, no matter how great or small the task.

Serve the Lord God with a pure heart and remove the mask.

Keep trusting in the Lord–all you have to do is ask.

 

Someday soon we shall stand on top of the mountain peak.

Every golden promise God has fulfilled, as we speak.

Each day adds another victory toward your winning streak.

Keep pressing toward the mark to obtain the prize you seek.

 

Keep renewing your mind, assess your thoughts and take stock.

Never give up–build your hope on Christ, the solid rock.

Overcome the odds–by faith get around any roadblock.

Count your blessings with every tick-tock of the clock.

Keep this in mind and call on the Lord: ask, seek, and knock.

 

Kim McFarland and the Thompson Community Singers offer this stirring reminder: “Just Ask in My Name.”