Ask, seek, knock

Read Luke 11:5-13

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Asking is a basic part of prayer, yet for that very reason it causes us difficulties. Why does God want us to ask for things which he already knows we need? Isn’t it rather unworthy and even selfish to pray for ourselves? And (perhaps hardest of all) why do so many of our prayers seem to go unanswered?

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Yet “give us this day our daily bread” shows us that God wants us to bring our everyday needs to him (Mt.6:11; Lk.11:3). In Luke, the Lord’s Prayer is followed by these various passages which all reinforce this truth. The parable of the friend at midnight teaches that we should not hesitate to ask (5-8). In fact we are to keep on asking, seeking and knocking on God’s door (9-10), in the confident assurance that he is a loving Father who delights to give us what we need (11-13).

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It is our needs (not our wants) that we bring to him – our everyday needs of any kind, both for ourselves and for others (“give us”). He wants us to present our requests to him (Phil.4:6), casting all our cares on to him because he cares for us (1 Pet.5:7). So we come to the throne of grace with confidence that we will find the grace we need (Heb.4:16) and can trust him to answer according to his will (1 Jn.5:14-15).