 |
| March 5, 2006 Three Steps to Answered Prayer Matthew 7:7,8 I. THE PRINCIPLE OF ASKING Ask, and it shall be given you... The Greek word for "ask" is "aiteo" and it means to beg or to crave. Jeremiah 33:3 says Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Psalm 2:8 says Ask of me, and I shall give thee... Psalm 145:18, The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Prayer is not shopping for an answer, prayer is asking expectantly for an answer. James 4:2 ye have not, because ye ask not. II. THE PRINCIPLE OF SEEKING seek, and ye shall find This Greek word, "zete," means to seek in order to find out by thinking, meditating, and reasoning; to inquire into. God continually calls on His people to seek Him in His fullness. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Psalm 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Hebrews 11:6 But 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. Jesus expounded on this condition of continual seeking in the Gospel of John. He called it "abiding." John 15:4-7 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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 abide 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. To abide in the Vine (in Christ) is a threefold proposition. We abide in Him in relationship to place, time, and condition. III. THE PRINCIPLE OF ANTICIPATING knock, and it shall be opened unto you It means to literally knock on a door. It is the same Greek word, "krouo," used in Revelation 3:20 when Jesus says Behold, I stand at the door and knock... To knock on a door is to anticipate an answer. I John 5:14, 15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. John 14:13, 14 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. Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Remember the order of the principles: ask, seek (abide), and lastly, knock (anticipate). |