Ask, Seek, Knock

Prayer isn’t just a spiritual exercise— it’s a real conversation with God that can shift situations, change futures, and bring us closer to Him.

Whether you already have an active prayer life or feel disconnected with God, this week's message will inspire you to pursue it consistently—not just in crisis, but as a daily connection with our Father in heaven.

“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.”
- Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬,8 NASB1995‬‬

Chapters

• 0:14 Introduction to Jesus' Parables
• 1:44 The Sermon on the Mount Teaching
• 4:03 Ask, Seek, Knock: Prayer Instructions
• 9:01 Elijah's Prayer for Fire
• 15:07 Solomon and Jonah's Prayers
• 21:41 King Hezekiah's Life-Changing Prayer
• 26:23 The Importance of Prayer Life
• 28:00 Closing Prayer and Benediction

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:14

This beautiful day. I would like to start and get straight into the word of God. I don't want to tell you that I have a very short word this morning and I will start by telling you that you know, the parables that Jesus spoke when he was on this planet are just fabulous and beautiful ones. And you know, when you take some time out and you're keeping some time aside for God to get to know your Father, you should pick some of these beautiful passages and read them, because you should meditate on them, because this is wisdom, it's wisdom from the most high, precious pearls from heaven that Jesus spoke while he was on this planet for us and mankind to live their life thereafter. And today I will share from one of these kind of teachings from Jesus, and some of you might know this one and some might not, but it comes from a time which is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Now Jesus is moving around from place to place and crowds are following him everywhere he goes, and these people now are carrying their friends with them, their family members with them, the people who they love with them and, of course, themselves the ones who are unwell. And the Bible says that he was healing all kinds of diseases. All the blind were getting their sight back, the lame were walking, the paralyzed were getting up, the demoniacs were being healed, the dead were being raised, oh hallelujah. And now the crowd is just following him. Anywhere he would make an appearance, there are just crowds running after him. And it's one of those times, and the Bible says that, as I said, jesus was healing them all, all kinds of diseases, hallelujah. And this is one of those times when he goes up on a mountain and he speaks to his disciples and to the crowds that are there about multiple topics. And on one of the topics he talks about prayer, praying to God, praying to the Father. And I'm getting straight into it from the book of Matthew, the 7th chapter, the 7th verse. And pay attention, this beautiful morning, some of you are going to experience God at a whole new level. Matthew 7, 7, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. And the 8th verse goes on to say for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened, oh hallelujah, amen. Ask and it will be given. 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. Oh hallelujah so beautiful. Who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be open. Oh hallelujah, so beautiful.

Speaker 1: 4:32

And I'm just going to take the seventh verse and read it to you from the amplified version. And it says ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you. Seek and keep on seeking and you 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. And just like that, as into the subsequent verse, for everyone who keeps asking, they receive, and to he who keeps seeking, they find. And to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. Oh hallelujah, what a beautiful passage of scripture spoken by the most high. And he's telling you this beautiful morning that you know what you have to ask.

Speaker 1: 5:16

And, as I said, in case you're wondering what this is about, jesus is talking about prayer. He's talking about asking from god. He's talking about seeking god. He's talking about asking from God. He's talking about seeking God. He's talking about knocking on that door to have something open to you, to have a deeper treasure, a deeper relationship with God.

Speaker 1: 5:41

And I want to tell you that you know, some of us pray to God.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Some of us don't pray.

Speaker 1: 5:56

Some of us pray when you know, when you're in need. Sometimes you pray when you start a meal. Sometimes you forget and here I'm not saying it's you, it's me too. We're all human and some of you have an everyday prayer life and praise God for that, and we're human. And sometimes we pray only when we need something. Sometimes we pray only when we're in a bad spot, when we need help. Sometimes we pray only when we are in a bad spot, when we need help. Sometimes we pray only when we need saving, when the water has reached above our head, which, I said again, is fine, there's nothing wrong with it. Your father has made you and he knows you and yet he loves you.

Speaker 1: 6:54

But, as Jesus said, ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find Knock and it will be open to you. Jesus does not say it might happen. Depends on the day of the hour when you're asking. Depends if God is free or not free. Depends on how good or how bad you've been. It's beautiful, it's just, it's clear and simple and no mixing of words, and I'm just quickly going to give you the definition of these words.

Speaker 1: 7:26

As for what you would know from the world today, ask is a simple one. It's a way of getting an answer from someone. Seek is a way of obtaining or achieving something. By the way, seeking is also a derivative of the word ask, and knock, of course, in this case, is referring to a door, for it to be opened, hallelujah. Knock, of course, in this case, is referring to a door, for it to be opened, hallelujah. And I want to tell you that when you have to reach out to God, you have to reach out to God. You have to understand that he's your father and, for those of you who are parents, you know very well that when your child wants something, he comes to you and he asks for it and you know what. You will give it to him and you know what.

Speaker 1: 8:18

Take some time today and go on and read from matthew, the seventh chapter. I read to you seven and eight, those two verses. Go ahead and read ahead and see what jesus says. Those two verses. Go ahead and read ahead and see what Jesus says. If a child asks his father for a fish, will he give him a snake? No, of course he will not. Of course he will not. And then he goes on to say you, who are human still yet know how to give good gifts, how much will your father? Oh, hallelujah, amen, of course he loves you.

Speaker 1: 8:57

And I want to tell you, as I was saying, some of you are parents here and or have access to a child, and you know, when the child wants something, they will come to you and you know what. Yes, when you love that child, oh, you will give them anything that they want, anything. You'll go over and beyond what they ask. They'll ask you for one thing you'll give them 10, 15, depending on what's your capability, but you will always, always, always, give them more than what they ask. And we are are just human. Oh, and your father is the mighty one, and that's why Jesus said go ask and it will be given, hallelujah. So you have to reach out to God, and that's what prayer is about.

Speaker 1: 9:48

And we've heard before from this platform God, god's ears are inclined to your voice from the Psalms. We've heard it. He hears you, don't be mistaken. He hears you because you are his child and he loves you and that's why Jesus said you must shut that door. Have a one on one with him. Every child has a one on one relationship with their parent. He's your father. Go, have a one on one relationship with him. Shut that door.

Speaker 1: 10:24

And this beautiful morning I want to share a few examples with you of people who reached out to God. And what was the outcome? Align to the scripture that has been released this morning Ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you.

Speaker 1: 10:45

And I want to start with this beautiful time in the life of Elijah and some of you might know this and some of you might not, but Elijah was the only prophet left alive, the only prophet of God left alive. There was someone who was persecuting them or instigating people against them, and they were getting persecuted. In other words, they were getting killed. In other words, they were getting killed. And he was the only one left. And there is this time when he is running and hiding and God Tells him to go out into the open and stand in front of Israel. And there is this time in the Bible when he goes out In plain day To meet the prophets of Baal and Asherah. The Bible says, and in the midst of Israel. I want to tell you I'm not getting into the depth of the story, but it's basically he goes to an altar, a very famous altar in Israel, and he puts down a challenge to the prophets of Baal and Asherah, saying that you put your sacrifice here and we'll call fire down upon the sacrifice, and the God that answers is the one true God. And the Bible says there are 400 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, that's 800 prophets in total, and he is alone. Oh hallelujah. And I'm going to leave most of the details out because you can go and read it in the Bible and all I'm just going to go to.

Speaker 1: 12:23

The meaty part of it is they put the sacrifice onto the altar and the prophets are calling out to whoever they want to call out to, and Elijah is mocking them. He's saying cry out louder, maybe he's sleeping, but there is no fire from Baal and Asherah because there is no Baal and Asherah. And then it's Elijah's turn and then he goes and he puts the sacrifice on the altar and he prays to God to answer him with fire from heaven. And the Bible says God sent down fire from heaven. Oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah. The Bible even says that the fire licked up the sacrifice, it licked up the wood, it even licked up the stones and the water that was poured there was gone. Oh, hallelujah was gone. Oh hallelujah. Elijah prayed to God and he answered him with fire from heaven, with the whole of Israel as a witness and, of course, for good measure, the 800 prophets of Baal and Asherah. Oh hallelujah. And I want to tell you that same Elijah.

Speaker 1: 13:48

Immediately after that, the Bible talks about it there's a very bad famine in the land, and look at the significance of this, but I cannot get into it this beautiful morning because it's just not what it is today. And he goes up to mount carmel, oh hallelujah. He goes up to mount carmel and he's crouched. The bible says he's crouched down and he puts his head between his knees. The bible says and he prays. There's a famine in the land and he's praying to God for rain. And the Bible says he goes up to the mount, to Mount Carmel, and he crouches down and he puts his head between his knees, and you can picture this. It's one of those deep prayers. And he prays.

Speaker 1: 14:47

The Bible says, and I want to tell you seven times he sends the servant out to look towards the sky, but there is nothing you see. Ask and keep on asking. Yeah, even Elijah, who called fire from heaven in this case, had to keep on asking Seven times over and wait. The seventh time the Bible says the servant looked towards the sky and a small cloud the size of a man's hand came up from the sea. Oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah. And then the Bible goes on to say and then the sky grew black, with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy, heavy rain. Oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah. Seven times he sends his servant to look for a cloud from the sea, or rather, let me say this, six times, because the seventh time he saw it, but six times he didn't see anything. And I'm just going to go back in time and be like any normal human being. Is there anything you see? No, master. Okay, I'll continue to pray. Is there anything you see? Not yet, master. Okay, okay, I'll continue to pray. Is there anything you see yet? Not yet, master. Three times, that's just three times. It happened six times over, and the seventh time he asked him to see the sky, or watch the sky, and then from the sea comes out a cloud the size of a man's hand. Oh hallelujah, ask, keep on asking, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 16:47

I want to tell you Solomon, the wisest man documented in the Bible, the wisest man on the planet. The Bible says never was and never will be a man as wise as Solomon. That means he was the wisest man on the planet and that man prayed to God when he made a temple for him. Solomon prays to God when he makes a temple for him and the Bible says God, listen to this people, listen to this people, and you are his child and you must understand it this morning. You're a child of the Most High. He prays to him and the Bible says God appears to him at night, oh hallelujah. And you know what he tells him. I'm reading it to you from the word of god I have heard your prayer and I have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. Oh hallelujah, I told you david is called a man of his own heart.

Speaker 1: 17:47

He wrote the psalm. You have inclined your ear to me. I told you he's. His ear is inclined to you. Don't think he can't hear you. Just don't ask me why you haven't got the answer yet, because that's God's timing. Everything is timed under heaven, a time for everything In God's plan. Not for me to give you the answer why or why not, hallelujah but let me tell you that Solomon and I cannot leave this part out.

Speaker 1: 18:16

When he made the temple, he made an offering to god and it's documented in the bible 22 000 oxen, 120 000 sheep at that very same altar, dedicating it to god. And then he gave burnt offerings to god, and he had fat offerings to god. And the Bible says and he gave grain offerings to God. And wait for it, god comes in person to answer him. Oh, that's a different level of prayer, isn't it? Oh, hallelujah, I'm not just praying to you, lord, I know you will anyway hear me and answer me, but I'm also giving you a sacrifice that you accept this place I've made for you Forever, oh, hallelujah. And God, the Bible says, appears to him at night. Oh, hallelujah, would you not want God to come to you in person? Oh, wow, I have heard your prayer. Solomon, solomon, wow, I have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. Wow, hallelujah, I want to tell you, jonah was in the belly of a fish, a great fish.

Speaker 1: 19:26

The Bible says that God appointed, by the way, to swallow Jonah. The Bible says that too. And he was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights. And then Jonah prayed to God from the stomach of the fish and he promised God a sacrifice with a voice of thanksgiving. And the Bible says immediately God commanded the fish and vomited Jonah out on dry ground. Oh hallelujah, oh hallelujah. Jonah was in the belly of a great fish Three days and three nights. And then he prays to God and he says he will give him a sacrifice with thanksgiving. Jonah knew something as well. He too was talking about sacrifice with thanksgiving. He's already in the belly's fish, the fish's belly, for three days and three nights. And yet he's saying I'll come out and give you a thanksgiving offering, lord. I'm just going to leave you with this. What if he didn't pray? What if he didn't pray at all? I don't know.

Speaker 1: 20:53

And I have one last example for you, and this is from the book of Kings, the second second Kings, the 20th chapter, and it's about a time in the life of King Hezekiah. And I want to tell you this this is for someone in particular here this beautiful day that you hear this King Hezekiah, the Bible says, became mortally ill and God sends Prophet Isaiah to tell him, to give him a message from the Most High. And Isaiah goes to the king to tell him get your house in order, as you will die and not live. Die and not live. And the Bible says Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays to God. And the Bible says Hezekiah wept bitterly and prayed to God, turning his face to the wall. Yes, some of you have also reached that point where you've prayed and prayed and wept and prayed and wept and wept and yet prayed. But I want to tell you this morning that God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. And he will, the Bible says, answer you. And I want to tell you what happens in this situation.

Speaker 1: 22:33

Before Isaiah left the grounds of the palace, the Bible even says he was in the middle court on his way out, and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah and said return, isaiah, and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Thus says the Lord I'm reading it to you from the word of God return and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer. Oh, and wait. I have seen your tears, oh hallelujah. Some of you can feel God's presence. That's because he wants you to feel his presence. I have heard your prayer, hezekiah. I have seen your tears, hezekiah. I have seen your tears, o child, behold, I will heal you. I will add 15 years to your life. Hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 23:32

2 Kings, 28th chapter, the 5th verse onwards. Read it oh hallelujah, king Hezekiah gets 15 more years added to his life. God changes the plan he had for Hezekiah because of a prayer, a deep, deep, emotional prayer. He had for Hezekiah because of a prayer, a deep, deep, emotional prayer. And I know some of you have been there and this beautiful morning I'm not here to give you bad news. I'm here to give you good news. Just as it happened for King Hezekiah, he will change his plans for you and he will make new ones. Hallelujah, and in case, just in case, you are someone who is unwell, it's the word of the Most High, and the Bible says I am watching over my word to perform it. I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears and, behold, I will heal you. It's from the Most High. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I want to leave you with this.

Speaker 1: 24:41

1 Thessalonians 5.17 says Pray without ceasing oh hallelujah. This beautiful morning, this beautiful day, make a decision and decide to have a relationship with God. Some of us have really long lists that we go to Him with. Some of us don't even have a prayer life, but this beautiful morning, make a decision, because the Bible says Jesus said it when he was on this planet Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find Knock and the door will be opened. And there are so many situations that we come across in our life on this planet, tough ones, easy ones. But I believe and I also believe that's why this word was released this morning is for you to understand that you need to have a prayer life and that's what will get you through the situation.

Speaker 1: 25:46

Look at all these examples and I want to tell you, and you think about it this morning what if Elijah didn't pray? What if Elijah didn't pray? What if Elijah did not call upon the Lord and ask him to send down fire? What if he did not put his head between his knees and give up the second time he prayed? Oh, god's not listening, I'm stopping. What? What if Solomon did not pray to God? He would have not seen God. God appeared to Solomon because he prayed to him. What if Jonah did not pray when he was in the belly of the fish? Who knows how long he would have been there? Or maybe that just would have been the end of the chapter. What if King Hezekiah? Or maybe that just would have been the end of the chapter. What if King Hezekiah did not pray to God? The message that came from Isaiah was set your house in order, your life is over, your time is up. What if he did not pray?

Speaker 1: 26:53

1 Thessalonians 5.17 says pray without ceasing and make that decision today and this is for someone again this morning John 15, 7. John 15 chapter, the seventh verse if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Amen, oh, hallelujah. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. It's the same Jesus who's answering you in two different ways this morning and you better get it if he's answered you in two different ways. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 27:33

Some of you are feeling God's presence tremendously. Dear lord, I thank you for this beautiful time. I thank you for your double-edged sword that does not go back until it has achieved what it is, what what it has been set out for. Lord, thank you for your wonderful presence, lord, that people can feel. I thank you for the healings that you've released on this platform and for every person who's going to hear this whenever they hear it. Lord, thank you, lord, for the beautiful healings that you released already. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 28:10

Thank you, lord, for being ever so faithful to us, though we remain faithless, lord. Thank you, lord, lord, for showing us today, through your word, that when we ask, we will receive. Lord, when we seek, we will find, and when we knock, you will open the door unto us, lord, and that door that no man can shut will be opened unto some people today, lord, who ask for it and who seek a beautiful face and who knock upon that door. Thank you, lord, for answering some prayers that have not been answered before. Lord, this beautiful day has aligned to your word, and thank you, lord, for new relationships that are being built with you. Again, hallelujah, thank you, lord, for this beautiful time, thank you for just your beautiful mercies that are new every morning, and thank you for this beautiful mercy and this grace that you've showered upon us today. Lord, thank you for this time, lord. Thank you, lord, in Jesus name, I pray Amen. Thank you, lord, in Jesus' name, I pray Amen.