Ask, Seek, Knock

Guest (Male): When is the last time you really prayed? When is the last time you really read the scriptures? When is the last time you waited upon God to answer your prayer? And if you do wait upon the Lord, what is God going to do? He's going to come and he's going to do exactly what he feels you need in your life. And you're going to have the joy of the Lord. Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today as Raul continues our series focused on nurturing a deep personal relationship with the Lord, he will encourage you to spend more time in prayer. You'll find that praying is more than a religious activity with set phrases. You can enjoy real conversations with God as you study his word and listen for his voice. In Matthew chapter 7 beginning in verse 7, here's Raul Ries.
Raul Ries: He says, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it will be open to you. For everyone who's asking receives. He who is seeking finds. To him who knocks, it will be open. Or what man is there among you who if his son is asking you for a piece of bread, will give him a stone? It says, or if he's asking you for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then be an evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your father, who is in heaven, give you good things to those who ask him? In the Gospel of Luke, in the last paragraph, he says how much your father in heaven will give you the Holy Spirit to those that ask him? The church would be better off today if the church would repent and humble themselves before God and return to their first love. And be baptized with the Holy Spirit like in the book of Acts chapter 1 verse 8 as they were given not only the witness, but on the day of Pentecost, 120 in the upper room praying, seeking, knocking as God will open the door for them. And when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they all began to speak with other tongues. And by the end, you come to that chapter 2 it says 3,000 accepted the Lord by giving them the scriptures. And you look at the church today you wonder what's going to happen to the church? In the days that we're living in, where people not only are watching the church but criticizing the church, criticizing the church because the church not only has moved away from their first love, but the church has come to a place where we have become just like the world but we're not of the world, Jesus said. And then individually you have to examine your own life. The Holy Spirit was given to each one of us individually. As 120 prayed including the mother of Jesus, that as the Holy Spirit came, it gave them the power to pray according to the will of God, not according to my will, but I want to pray according to his will. And here Jesus in coming to this place of prayer, he's challenging the disciples. He challenged them notice not only for a depth of prayer in their lives. In the original language in Greek it means this, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Isn't that cool? Keep, keep, keep. Let's look at the first point, verse 7 invitation to prayer, inviting us to pray. He says, keep asking and it will be given to you. Keep seeking and you will find. Keep knocking and it will be open unto you. Now asking is implying humility here that we have the consciousness of God. Asking also presupposes believe in a personal God that exists in with whom we not only have fellowship with, but in whom we trust and we ask him to protect us, to watch over us, to close the doors and to open the doors and to give us eternal life. A God that we constantly look to. And yet when one prays, are you truly expecting an answer? I am. I'm expecting an answer. You know what blew me away reading the book of Revelation studying it in chapter 4 and 5 that a lot of times we get discouraged because our prayers are not answered maybe in this life. But when I read chapter 5 of Revelation, it blew me away because even when you die and you go to heaven, all your prayers are before the throne of God and many of those prayers when you're not here, they'll still be answered. Isn't that cool? They'll still be answered for your children. For whatever God intended to do that in your life. And to me that's encouraging. As I pray for my grandbabies, as I pray for my sons, as I pray for you, as I pray for my enemies, that I want to make sure that my heart is right before the Lord that I am not coming being selfish or not only desiring for myself or abusing my prayer life to get my will done instead of God's will. Because there are many religions that love praying, long prayers, but it's all repetition. I've learned the two hours, it's relationship and there's religion. I don't want religion. I want a relationship. I like to walk something, I like to sit on traffic, I pray. Whatever it is. And many times the way he speaks, I don't know how he speaks to you, but the majority of the time he speaks to me through the word of God. And there are times he'll speak to me through you, to a person I'm speaking to, looking for an answer. And he can even speak to my children. But you have to have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying. And then make sure your heart is right like Jeremiah 79 and 10. What did he say? He said the heart is deceitful above all things. Desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search your heart. And notice it says, and I test the mind even to give to every man or woman according to their ways, according to the fruit of his doings. And then Ecclesiastes chapter 5 2 says this, do not be rash with your mouth and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God, for God is in heaven and you are on the earth. Therefore let your words notice be few. Not many, few. Be careful when you open your mouth what you say. It's not the length, but it is the depth of your prayer. So Lord commands us and is challenging us to persevere in our prayers. And then seeking is what is asking plus acting upon that. Notice again, asking plus acting. Let me give you an example. One should not only pray for a deep knowledge of the Bible, but should also diligently search and examine the scriptures. I like that. Don't neglect the word of God when you pray. Because when you go to the Old Testament, there are so many prayers in the Old Testament and so many in the New Testament. And if you go through the prayers of the Old Testament, you'll see these prophets, you'll see these men that not by faith they were praying. And a lot of those prayers not only were answered in the New Testament, but in the future to come. Jesus said in John 5 39 he said, search the scriptures, for in the scriptures you think you have eternal life. And these are they which testify of me because we do have eternal life. When you read the scriptures, we see that God sent his only begotten son that whoever believe in him should not perish but have what eternal life. And then how about Acts 17 11? These were more far-minded than those of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness and search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were true. Searching the scriptures every day, daily, to make sure when you hear a lesson, when you hear somebody preaching and even including me, make sure that I'm not deceiving you. Check the word of God to make sure it is God's word. How about knocking? Is acting upon perseverance. One knocks and knocks until what? Until the doors open. When you read the New Testament, uh there's a whole situation where he gives a little parable. And there's a person that not only the family has gone to bed, they're already in bed, it's nighttime. And the neighbor comes and starts knocking on the door but nobody's answering the door. But the scripture says there that he kept knocking, kept knocking until finally the men of the house got up, opened the door and say, yes, can I help you? That's what he's talking about. Knock, knock until the door is open. It's not according to your time but according to his time. To continue to knock on that door until it's open. And then it is possible also rendering to continue to ask, continue to seek and continue to knock. Again, listen in Luke chapter 18 when the parable that Jesus gave, he said, then he spoke a parable to them, the disciples. Then men always ought to pray and not to lose heart. Think of all the people even us here have lost heart in prayer. When is the last time you really prayed? When is the last time you really read the scriptures? When is the last time you waited upon God to answer your prayer? And if you do wait upon the Lord, what is God going to do? He is going to come and he is going to do exactly what he feels you need in your life. And you're going to have the joy of the Lord. And then in Luke 18 again verse 7, he says in that parable, then the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge says. And shall God not avenge his own elect who knows who cry out day and night to him though he bears long with them? Continually praying and praying and waiting. Romans 12 12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Then Ephesians 5 20. Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6 18 when he speaks about the armor of God. Praying always with all prayer, supplication in the spirit, be in watchful to this end with all perseverance, supplication for all the saints, for all the saints. In Colossians 4 2 continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5 17 the short, pray without ceasing. Pray without stopping. Pray all the time.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. It's our privilege to help you pursue the rich abundance God desires for you. Visit us anytime at somebodylovesyou.com to explore our many resources. Raul's series titled called, chosen and committed is available on CD and USB. We'll tell you how you can get your copy in just a few moments. Here is Raul Ries once again with the final part of our study, ask, seek, knock.
Raul Ries: Look at the second point verse 8 to 10. The blessing of prayer. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be open. Or what man is there among you? If his son asks for a piece of bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he's asking for a fish, will he give him a serpent? The reason he uses this because remember they were fishermen. And they love bread. So he uses this whole thing concerning their culture so they can understand. So number one, we need to understand that prayer is conditional. If we ask, we receive according to his will, not according to my will. And when we receive because we ask, we give him all the glory and all the honor for what he's doing. If we truly seek, we find. If we don't seek according to God's purpose is and will, then we cannot find. If we don't knock, then the door will never ever be open for us. James 4 3 says, you ask and do not receive because you're asking amiss that you may spend it on your own pleasures. You see God checks our hearts. Are you going to ask so you can spend everything on your own pleasures or is God going to get glorified? Is it for the purpose of God? And when you pray for the purposes of God for your own family, for your job, whatever it is, then God is going to come to you. He's going to answer that prayer because he sees your heart that is not selfish. How about secondly? We understand that every Christian is heard and his prayer is answered according to the will of God. He hears everyone who keeps asking, who keeps seeking and who keeps knocking at the door. Eventually he opens the door. Thirdly, we understand that every Christian prays and is loved by God. I love that. We are loved by God because if God doesn't love us and we have no relationship with him, think of the world today when the world prays, there's only one prayer that God listens in the world. You know what that is? Salvation. When you pray and say, Lord, I'm ready to come to you, come into my life. Remember we pray with the non-believer that prayer. And yet as a child of God 24/7 365 days in a year I can come into the presence of God and pray and receive answers in my life. And then fourthly, we understand that Christians pray in secret, not only in public, but in secret. Matthew 6 6. But you when you pray, go into your closet and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in secret place and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And then fifthly, we understand the Christians may pray that have a pure heart. We need to pray with a pure heart in the presence of God. The heart is deceitful. Remember Psalm 66 18 to 20. David said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. The Lord will not hear. You see, if you're in sin, God will not hear. But certainly God has heard me, David said. Why? Cuz he repented when he caused that sin with Bathsheba when they sinned against God. David committed adultery. For a whole year God would not talk to him. God would not answer any of his prayers because he was in sin and he had repented. But the moment David repented, immediately God began to speak to him and he began to speak to God. He says and certainly God has heard me and has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be the God whom has not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from my life. I love David. I love his prayers. We can learn a lot from the Psalms. We can learn a lot from the Proverbs, wisdom and knowledge. In the mornings it will be good to take one proverb every day, 30 days or 31 days, there's 31 Proverbs. And before you go to school, before you go to work, imagine sitting down like today, reading your proverb today and see what God is going to speak to you concerning your proverb in your life. And then listen, Jesus here reminds us what that even the best of parents are weak and unworthy even with their children, even with their children or their husbands. And yet we're not only imperfect, many times even partial with our children, but God is never partial. He doesn't have favorites. We're all the same. I love that. We're all the same in the presence of God. But he is a holy, righteous, just God. They were coming into his presence. And yet God through his love he gives us all good things according to his will. And then Jesus invites each one of us to be not only personal in our pleading with God. Pleading with God, number one, saints are invited to do what? To commune with God, pray. In Psalm 17 8 and 9 it says, keep me as the apple of your eye and hide me under the shadow of your wings. He's praying. Notice that. Secondly, we students longing for wisdom are invited to pray. Show me your ways, oh Lord. Teach me your paths. Teach me your ways and teach me your paths. Thirdly, we soldiers are invited to pray. Show me your ways, oh Lord, again and teach me your paths before you so I can follow them. And then fourthly, the disciples are not only invited in time of need, but we're invited to come in the presence of God and say, Lord, here am I. These are my needs. Matthew 14 30. Then when he saw that the wind was boisterous, Peter, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out saying, Lord, save me. Remember when Peter, when he saw Jesus walking and they were all on the ship, on a little boat, and Peter said, Lord, can I come to you? He said, come to me, Peter. And Peter jumped over the little boat. He started in the water. He started walking on the water. Nobody ever had done that, only Jesus. And as he started walking on water, his eyes on Jesus, the moment he turned in God his eyes of Jesus when the wind was boisterous, immediately what happened? He began to sink. When you get your eyes of Jesus, you're going to sink. You're going to sink. And what did the Lord do? He said, Lord, save me. Just a little prayer and Jesus reached down and saved him. And they both walked back to the ship. Both walked back to the little boat. So important that we take the lessons and learn from the New Testament and from the Old Testament. Fifthly, we disciples are needing direction. We need direction so we need to pray and see if there's any wicked way in me and lead me again what notice in the every way of everlasting. In the way of everlasting, Lord, lead me. And look at conclusion here. This is really important. As a disciple of Christ, I need number one to always be watching. Always be watching. Matthew 26 41 says, watch and pray. Did you know that word watch in the Greek means be on the alert? Be on the alert and pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. That's in the Garden of Gethsemane when the disciples were sleeping. Jesus says, the reason you're going to fall, the reason, Peter, you're going to deny me. Again, pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. They slept instead of praying. And then secondly, always praying without stopping in your life. Luke 18 1. And then he spoke a parable again to them that men always ought to pray and never to lose heart when you pray. Thirdly, always accountable to God in your prayers. Luke 21 36 again, watch or be on the alert therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the son of man. You know what he's talking about? The rapture. We need to pray again that we are counted worthy to escape what? The tribulation period. All these things they will come to pass and to stand in the presence of the son of man at the beam of seat of Christ.
Guest (Male): It is wonderful to know that the Lord actually desires to spend time with us. And when we quiet ourselves in prayer, he'll speak to our hearts with truth from his word. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's study was titled ask, seek, knock. For an unedited version just call us at 800 634 9165 and for a donation of $5 or more, we'll send a copy to you. To further motivate you in seeking pure communion with God, we'd like to tell you more about Raul's 10 part series called, chosen and committed. It's available on CD or thumb drive. Every lesson underscores the greatness of God's love and challenges you not to settle for mediocrity in your spiritual life, but to pursue the peace, purpose and strength that comes only from consistent faithful living. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800 634 9165 to order Raul's 10 message study called, chosen and committed. We'll send you the CD set for $22 or the flash drive for $13. That's 800 634 9165 or write to Somebody Loves You Radio PO Box 4440 Diamond Bar, California 91765. Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries is completely listener supported and every gift enables us to keep sharing God's mighty word. Join us next time for more guidance in honoring the Lord with an undivided heart. We'll see that God has placed a unique call on each of our lives and he'll equip us with all that we need to fulfill those plans. Now with the final comment, here is Raul once again.
Raul Ries: And then how about fourthly, always watching again, Ephesians 6 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Holy Spirit. Being watchful, being on the alert to this end with all perseverance, supplication for all the saints. And then finally, always seeking. I like that. Always seeking. Proverbs 8 17. I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently will find me. Are you seeking for him this morning? Are you knocking on the door? Are you asking the Lord for whatever your need may be here this morning? Listen, he wants to answer you. So when this morning as you go back home, wherever you're going, spend some time with Jesus. Get away from everybody, get on your face, however you want to pray, the position doesn't matter, but it's my heart. And then God will answer your prayer.
Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.