“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7.(NASB)
Why should you ask? Is it possible you already have what you ask for? Is it possible you have not been saying the right things in prayer?
Earlier in Mathew chapter five, Jesus began his much-acclaimed “sermon on the mount” or the beatitude, which spilled into Chapter seven of that same Mathew. One of the exciting things about the whole message is that it became the foundation for our earlier discussions and conversations as Christians.
As we began to grow, we begin to see things differently because we have a better understanding of context and the precept. In our opening passage, Jesus is seen addressing the people making allusions, debunking beliefs, and breaking blocks of ignorance. At this time, one can’t say they were Christians because the word Christianity originated after Jesus Christ died, resurrected, and ascended.
They were just people who were wowed by one teacher ‘like that’ who spoke with so much conviction, knowledge, and authority, and not patronizing or pandering towards them. He just said things as they were, making amendments and explanations where necessary as He essentially ushered them into the core message of the kingdom of God. Mind you, John the Baptist was already going about his ministry, but he was, as it were, a forerunner, one whose message precedes that of the Messiah.
Though the kingdom message of redemption and restoration is clear and unchanged, the knowledge continues to wax in dynamism. (Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing, you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12:2 ESV). This dynamism is necessary because we work towards perfection-being like God.
Today, we are Christians who know more than the congregation Jesus was speaking to. One of the reasons for this assertion is the fact that we have the ministry of the Holy Spirit (But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. See John 14:26).
The higher level of knowledge now is that we have received all we ask of God (seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Pet 1:3 NASB)
Knowing that we have received all we ask God for should change our mindsets from ‘asking to receive’ to ‘seeking to see.’ For example, when you are told that a particular car you want has been granted you, would you instead ask to see it or seek to know where it? Your guess is as good as mine. Once more, I say, you already have all you ask. How do I know? The Bible says so. However, it’s not as straight up as it sounds. You have to take cognizance of two things:
- A recognition that you have this authority.
- Positioning yourself to take hold of what you want.
1. Recognition that you have this authority is achieved by studying the word and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the word to you. If the Bible were just one of those books, many would have accomplished a lot just by large scale memorization of the contents. Perhaps, some would have invented one software to feed the contents of the Bible into their brains. However, insight only comes from above.
There’s so much to be said on this, but I will leave it at this level. In different schools of ministry, there’s a course called scriptural exegesis. It’s one of the tools for a deeper understanding of the scriptures. One thing I will also say at this juncture is that one should try and study scriptures in context, not just picking a verse and memorize (Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15).
Also, don’t forget to pray for understanding (But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NASB).
2. Positioning yourself to take hold of what you want: Three of the greatest gifts given to man are the will, intellect, and emotion. It’s not a coincidence that they make up the soul. These three equip us with the mandate to live life. God does not live our lives for us. He has given us these three to apply in maximizing the resources of the earth at our disposal.
Like our earlier scripture in 2 Pet 1:3 implies, we have been given the resources; ours is to do something with or about them. This is why the problem isn’t what you were given but what you do with what you are given. It’s not about who you are but who you are able to become.
To buttress my point, let’s highlight on the will, intellect and emotion.
The Will: This enables you to make choices. At every juncture, you make choices. No one will make them for you. Whenever you make choices, you have automatically chosen a destination. In order to position yourself to take or become what you want, you have to make decisions that tally with them. Nothing in life will be handed down to you on a platter.
Intellect: You have to be able to reason. You have to be rational. You can develop yourself on this via reading, association, and certain foods. A man once said that your association determines your acceleration. You cannot be in a company of fools and keep praying to be wise. By shifting your position, you are positioning yourself for something better or more significant.
Emotion: We are all humans, and emotions are essential parts of our daily lives. Emotions are simply feelings due to our relationship with others, moods, and situations around us. Emotions can be positive or negative. However, we would do ourselves a great disservice if we allow emotions to be the primal motivations of our daily lives. They are flighty and unreliable. They are, however, okay, at least to remind us of our humanity. While we are affected by emotions, let the Holy Spirit be the guide.
In conclusion, as Christians, we have been given all we want to ask; we should walk in that mindset. It’s time to do what the Greeks call, ‘lambano’ which means ‘to take hold’ of something. If your God has assured you to take hold of something, you don’t need to ask to be given that same thing. Position yourself to take it. You can position yourself by mastering your will, intellect, and emotion.
Dr. Uchenna U. Ozoekwe PT, MD wrote this blog post. He is also known as Bethany Blaze. He is a Content Craftsman & Personal Transformation Advocate who blogs at https://BethanyBlaze.com
Other Useful posts:
