Several years ago daughter Rebekah came to me and said “Dad, I’m going to two proms.” Well, I all could do was reason that the Coker charm was working well for her. I didn’t notice the drop in countenance as she walked away. Several days later she repeated the statement, and again I congratulated her on these two wonderful occasions. Unfortunately, I am a guy and I was brain damaged 26 weeks after gestation. However, this time I did notice her disappointment —I just couldn’t figure it out. What she was asking me for was for TWO prom dresses. I did not hear her, because she did not say “May I have two dresses, please?” Fortunately, her mom understood. We found a way to work it out.
I use that example because as we approach the “Ask, Seek, Knock Principle” we want to make sure we understand the promise contained in Matthew 7:7a, and what it means when it says: Ask and it will be given. To ensure we are on track (conceptually) with what Christ was telling us, let’s consider what these concepts (from Matthew and Luke) meant in the original Greek. According to Strong’s Concordance ask (aitĕō) implies that you are 1) someone in a lesser position; i. e., subject to a King, child to a parent, and are willing to 2) communicate or beg due to a requirement, desire, or craving. It shall be given (didōmi) means that 3) the person of position is willing to grant, furnish or supply something that meets another’s need or places them in a position of advantage.
With that in mind, let’s consider the approach or process in laymen’s terms.
- First, you must let someone know you want or need something before they can give it or help you acquire it. You must be motivated to do something because there is (or appears to be) something missing that you do NOT have the capacity to produce. Without your motivation, passion, and desire to fill this emptiness, the challenge will not go away. You need help!
- Second, you must ask someone with the ability to impart an answer, supply a product or service, meet a need, or provide a solution to the challenge you face. They must have the means to make it happen. Talking to someone who cannot help or fulfill your need wastes time and energy and all you will do is add stress to a relationship or endanger a friendship.
- Finally, you must come to this person with some sort of expectancy. You must approach someone whom you believe can provide you with an answer or solution to the challenge you face. Otherwise, what’s the sense?
Rebekah came to me because I met the criteria of being able to solve her problem (2). She had the expectancy (3). Even though she was motivated to fill the emptiness, the communication necessary to ensure Dad understood the problem was missing. #1 was never completed. How specific are you when you ask God for something? Do you have the passion, which may even include fasting, to make your point to God? Do you tell him how the circumstances are impacting you? Do you expect results or just hope for them? Are you as serious as the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21–28? Well?
Love, Dad