Bearing the Gospel Light of Jesus Christ to the entire world
   

In the School of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit is the Teacher,
the Redeemed Believers all over the world are His Students.
Be ye transformed by the renewing power of Holy Spirit.

ASK – Ask, Seek and Knock

Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 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 fish offer him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:9-13; Matthew 7:7-11

The acronym ASK are the first letters of the key words ‘ask,’ ‘seek’ and ‘knock’ in the Bible passage above. The ‘A’ in ‘ask’ represents Acknowledge your needs, ‘S’ in ‘seek’ represents Seek for a solution and lastly, ‘K’ in knock represents Knock on the door of your solution. The first letter of each keyword comes together to form the first key word – ‘ask’. This is not a coincidence. These words are interrelated in the prayer life of the children of God. They are powerful procedural aspects of our prayer that ascertain that our Father in Heaven will honor our prayers. The passage above reveals to us the father-son/daughter scope of relationship within which the prayer procedures can be applied. In other words, if your spiritual relationship with God does not fall within this scope you should not expect positive results even if you follow the prayer procedures correctly.

When Jesus Christ was making these statements, He was revealing the mind of God. He was revealing the pain of God concerning the ignorance we often exhibit in the time of our needs. He was putting the Holy Name of His Father on the line, backing up every powerful key word in the passage with divine assurance. If God would not answer you in the time of your need, Jesus Christ, Son of God would not bid you to ask. If there is nothing in the store house of God, and if your frantic search will end up in vain, His Son would not tell you to seek. If the door of His divine blessing were not to be opened unto you, the King of Kings, who was with God at the beginning, would not tell you to knock.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF NEEDS

In most of our prayers to God, we stop at the first phase. That is, we only acknowledge our needs. At times, we are not detailed enough in the acknowledgement of our needs. Do not be surprised if many people do not know exactly what they need. This leads us to a story of two friends. The first was about to get married. His fiancé was very caring and loving. She showed a great respect for the family of her fiancé. The second friend admired the beautiful characters of the fiancé of his friend so much that any time he was praying for his own life-partner, he prayed thus: “God I want you to give me a woman exactly like my friend’s fiancé.” Soon after the marriage of the first friend, his wife became a changed person. She got angry one day and she hurled insults at both her husband and his family in the presence of the second friend. Everybody in their house characterized her as a bad woman. The experience was a horrible one for the second friend; he went to the Lord in prayer and said: “God I have change my mind; I don’t want a woman exactly like my friend’s wife any more. Please give me a woman that you have created to be my wife.” For the first time, he acknowledged his need correctly. This is a true story. So are our myriad of experiences concerning the things we put across before our Father in Heaven as our needs. Were we to write our needs on paper and compare notes, we would marvel at the ignorance we exhibit before God concerning our needs. As a result, before you go to God with your needs, ask yourself a pertinent question: Do I really, really know what I need? Do I really, really need what I request for in my prayer now and why? Take time to state the reason why those needs are so important in your life. Critically consider your reasons in line with the word of God. If your reason is worldly oriented or ostentatious, I perceive there is a problem in your request. Go back and reorganize your needs before God. Please note that you can succeed in deceiving man but you cannot deceive God. If the theme of your need is according to the will of God, will bring glory to God, and will be of benefit to others, you are on the right path. Proceed to the next stage of ASKing.

SEEK FOR A SOLUTION

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) If you identify yourself as a child of God, then the solution to your problems and the answer to your needs is not in the hand of the herbalists, psychics and occultists. If your problem is health related and you are sure that doctors can help you, you still need God. Although doctors may prescribe medicine for relief, only God does the healing. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” (Psalm 103:2-3) “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23) If your needs are beyond the power of man, do not waste time by going to man for a solution. Go to the Almighty God who created you. The good news is this: He is aware of your situations and He is abundantly able. God asked Sarah, the wife of Abraham at the age of 90 years: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14. Some may be pondering, “How can I know that my problem is beyond the power of man?” This question leads to a testimony.

One of my beloved children was diagnosed as having a speech delay. My wife and I enrolled him into special education program where he could get help. When he was about four years old, we got a note from his speech therapist for a meeting. She said in the meeting that they have done all they could but the child is not speaking. She said the next line of action now is to start teaching him sign language. I responded, “As the Lord liveth, my son will talk! How he would I do not know.” I knew immediately that this is beyond man and I knew that I have work to do. The children of God joined hand with us and we started praying for him. A few months later, we had a breakthrough. We were at home one day, and the boy said “Mommy.” Some weeks after that, he said, “Mommy, I love you”. You can imagine our joy. Since then, he has been speaking. He is presently in the 2nd grade but he is reading at 5th grade level according to his school report. He is opening and reading Bible like an adult. One thing to note here: The very end of the power of man is when it seems, in all ramifications, that hope is lost. This is the beginning of the power of God if you invite Him to intervene in your situation.

Seeking the face of God does not require an elevated platform but it surely requires a launching pad that will bring you to His presence. The church may point you to God and the pastor may counsel and intercede on your behalf but it does not end there. The process of seeking God begins with you. When you deal with yourself, you gain the stamina to deal with other forces that are militating against you. There are people who do not see anything good in themselves. If they do not wholeheartedly accept themselves as a priceless creative work of Almighty God, how can they appreciate the Creator who created them? There are other aspects of self that must be brought to subjection before God. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. You must discard the hidden habits and hidden parts of your life that do not give glory to God. You have to look inward through God’s eyes; look at yourself in the God’s mirror. Let the search light of God, which is His word, reveal the dross in your hearts so that the process of repentance may commence.

Review the status of your relationship with the Heavenly Father. If you do not have a relationship with him before, establish one. If you have been coming to God before only when you need His help, make Him your permanent friend. He is the true vine and we are the branches. “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:5-7)

In your relationship with man, God demands that you live your life in such a way that you become a source of light unto other people. Ensure that you make peace with those who have offended you and reconcile with those you have offended. When the word of God directed that peace should be between you and others, it does not follow that you are weak. It only means that the word is shaping you to fit into the divine will of God. In the ultimate level of peace expected of God’s children under the revolution of peace of Jesus Christ, He said: “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” (Matthew 5:39-41)

Please note. All the processes listed above are not only solutions but also the repentance of the besetting sins to sanitize, create room and an environment conducive for the blessing of God to dwell when Heaven would come down in your life. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that is cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2) There must be a reversal of all that has been spiritually wrong in your life until your will is the same as the God’s will. These are the steps that stand between you and God. When you up walk these steps, God will be able to hear you. When we operate under the perfect will of God, all the good intentions of God towards humanity will manifest in our lives for the His glory.

Another important thing of which you must not lose sight of is that your line of communication with God may be clear and free of busy signals. Unknown evil forces will often try to short-circuit your connection with God. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) It happened to the prophet Daniel. He was seeking the face of God with prayer and fasting for twenty-one days. God heard his prayer on the first day and sent His ministering angel to meet the need but the territorial hindering spirit called the prince of Persia, withheld the angel for twenty-one days before the chief prince, Angel Michael, came to his rescue. (Daniel 10:10-14) That is why you must win your conflict against the powers and principalities. The evil spirit must be bound and cast to the bottomless pit, the ministering angels should be set loose to minister to you. You must also break the chain and power of generational curses in your life. The power of binding and loosing is in the name of Jesus Christ “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name with is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

GET REAL AND GET READY

Be real in your seeking and get ready to receive. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) Totality of heart and consistency are required in seeking the face of God. Be consistent in your searching and behold, God will be consistent in giving to you. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Seek the face of the Father in godly wisdom, as we know that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Bees always go from one flower to the other when seeking for the nectar – the sweet liquid in the flower. The process of searching and seeking never destroys the petals and the stigmas; instead, it adds life to the continuous existence of the flower by distributing male pollen to female with its teeny-weeny hairy legs for the process of fertilization. When you are seeking the face of God, always have the story of the bee in your heart. Seek the Father with the consideration of other people in your mind. When you receive the blessing from above, do not let the way you live your life destroy other people’s lives.

If you desire the blessing of God, you must trust on Him wholeheartedly for your needs. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) There should not be a plan ‘B’ on the side or putting your trust in other idol because you cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24) God did not just take Enoch from earth to Heaven. God took him because he walked with the Almighty God. Do not be deceived. Every sin committed is another step away from God until the sinner repents of the sin. Conversely, every act of righteousness is another step towards the Creator. Consider this: the chariot of Fire would not have come down from Heaven only to pick up one soul if Elijah had not deserved the heavenly honor. Can it be said of you that you deserve a heavenly honor?

“ . . . whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7) If you sow unto the spirit, you shall reap godliness. David sowed unto faithfulness: he killed Goliath in the valley of Elah. (I Samuel 17:45-51) Jesus look up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” He said in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:41-43) The four-day stinking dead body of Lazarus was quickened and came out of the grave. Beloved of the Lord, have you forgotten the solitary moments when Jesus Christ sow in the Father with prayer? He is our example. We should learn from the Master.

There are a lot to learn from the fight of rams. This scene is seldom seen in the urban cities but it is a common occurrence in certain rural areas. When a ram acknowledges the position of its enemy, it locks on its eyes on the target and retreat backward about a distance of four yards. The ram does three things simultaneously. (It focuses, it retreats backward to gather a forceful momentum, and lastly it makes sure it hit its target so hard.) It will then run forward at an incredible speed of about 45 miles per hour, positioning his horn against its target. From the description of the scene, we learn importance of focusing, preparation and the determination to succeed. The parable of the ten virgins reveals the same. The first five were described as wise virgins because they focused on the goal, prepared for the bridegroom and were determined to attend the marriage ceremony. You know the rest of the parable and it can be found in (Matthew 25:1-12 ) Among all the important processes of seeking, you must focus on victory. You must be prepared and be determined not to fail; otherwise do not start a war against powers and principalities.

KNOCK ON THE DOOR FOR YOUR SOLUTION

In a closer reading of the repentance of the Prodigal son, you will notice that before realizing his wicked ways, he acknowledges his deplorable situation. You will also notice his efforts to device a solution to his problem. Lastly, you will notice the execution of the plan when he knocked at the door of the beloved father he had hurt because of his wantonness and greediness. (Luke 15:11-24) A prodigal son knew that he had hope in the presence of his father. He knew that whatever the case might be, his father would give him an audience. He also knew that there is a portion of mercy reserved for him in the heart of his father. The father received him with an open hand, not because he merited anything, but because his son had traced his way back to his original source.

Having known your portion before the Lord as a beloved of the Father, the apple of His eyes, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9), you must come before your Father in Heaven, with conviction in your heart that you will receive. You must knock with an assurance that you will not be denied. I was alone one day with my four-year-old son. I sat on a couch and I dozed off. This boy beat me with his little hands saying, “Wake up, Daddy! Don’t sleep.” I asked him, “Why?” With an astonished innocent countenance and concerned expression on his face, he asked me, “Who will take care of me?” The child was right. The boy knew who he is to me and knew that I am the only one that can take care of him when the rest of my family is not at home. He demanded for attention. After all, a sleeping father cannot take care of a needy child. Do not come to the Father in Heaven like a beggar. Come to Him with a humble spirit but in boldness of heart. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace; that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrew 4:16)

Enter the gate of the Living God with thanksgiving in your heart and enter his court with joy. Not only to offer Him praises of thanksgiving for what He has done up until now but also for what He is going to do in your life. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5) Come to the Father with the food of the Spirit to remind Him of His promises. “And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24) “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3) Also, come with the sword of the spirit against the hindering spirits to bind and cast them into the bottomless pit. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (II Corinthians 10:4-5) The word of God is a wall of defense and a sword of offence. Knock His door of mercy with the virtue of faith because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrew 11:6) Come to the Father in your prayer with the only recognized seal of Heaven, which is the name of Jesus Christ. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

There is no time limit in the period you should ask Father in your prayer. The Bible enjoined us to “pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) Pray in the day and during the night. Wake up and pray to seek His face while the whole world is asleep. Your Father who does not sleep nor slumber will be less busy at this time with fewer files on His table. This is one of the beautiful ways of sowing into the spirit. When you put aside your cozy bed to reach out to God in prayer, it is certain that you will not reap corruption. “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4) Pray anytime the Holy Spirit gives you a prayer point.

Lastly, do not ignore the power of agreement in prayer. If you do not have a prayer partner, look for one. A Christian couple should realize that they are partners forever and they should endeavor to commit their needs into the Lord’s hand in prayers of agreement. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20) When you engage in a prayer of agreement with your prayer partner, it is no longer one person’s need before God. It means you enter into a covenanted-spiritual relationship with another concerning your need before God. Above all, God witnesses that very moment of your agreement. I want you to know that God is not a passive witness to your heart’s desire. His presence is there to echo “Amen” to your prayer and to meet your needs. Remember that one can chase a thousand but two can put ten thousand to flight especially when the Lord has shut the enemy up. (Deuteronomy 32:30)

  
 

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