The Holy Bible encourages us to inquire of The Lord for the things we need in life. The Bible also encourages us to be obedient to The Word in order that our prayers are not hindered from coming to fruition.
Matthew 7:7 says the following:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
The Bible gives us clear instructions as to what we should seek. It also tells us the order or hierarchy of our “seeking.”
Matthew 6:33 reads. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
If we want our prayers heard and answered the guidelines for getting prayers answered as set forth clearly in The Word of God. We were created to seek God first. This is God’s perquisite to answered prayer. God is The Father of orderliness and He instructs us to first seek His kingdom and His will for us. We need to get to know Him personally and intimately. There is a reward for following these directions because He promises, “all these things shall be added unto you.” The very act of seeking gives credence and acknowledgement that you are aware that the answer to your need does not reside within you personally. You are aware that the answer lies outside of self and it valuable enough to search for it. You have the confidence that the search will yield you a reward.
Matthew 7:8
For every one that asked receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Luke 11:10
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
This passage of scripture is not a formula for getting everything you want, or think you want, from God. It is not the key to a “goody grab bag” that dispenses your desires each time you pray as outlined here. Some self-examination may take place and you may have a change of heart as to what you want from God.
When you ask God for something, you must believe that God exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. You are not only bringing a petition before Him but you are also seeking His presence, His love, His approval, and knowledge of (who) He is. There is a void within us that yearns to be filled. Every man strives to identify that void, that empty space, and fill it with what they determine will gratify that emptiness. We were created in the image of God to serve and have a loving relationship with Him.
We are seeking what God preordained for us. He promises us that if we seek Him; we shall not be disappointed. If we seek, we shall find all that is unequivocally promised. We can find peace, if we seek God with our whole heart.
The Word of God says, “He will give us perfect peace, whose minds are stayed upon Him.”
The human heart searches without fully understanding the void resident within us. Search with confidence and you will not be disappointed.
Seeking must never be done on our terms; some people seek to fill this void on their terms. They seek to fill the void with material goods and things that do not acknowledge God. The greatest attainment in our seeking is at-one-ment with God or atonement. Atonement in Christianity means the reconciliation between God and man brought about by the death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Seeking and Finding.
You must seek God first. This means you love God first. You must then love your neighbor as yourself. This takes us back to God because the ability to “seek and find” is contingent upon being obedient to the instructions. When we seek God, we find love, we are able to share love and we are given all these things we were seeking to fill the void within. Because of our sin nature, disobedience leads us in erroneous directions and we reject the clear directions given us by The Holy Word of God. When we accept God’s Word and obey His directions, we are able to seek and to find.
Everything we desire can be found in obedience to His directions. Because God loves us, He allows us to seek and to find Him by choice. The ability to conform to obedience is the cornerstone to seeking and finding. It means you are willing to position yourself correctly in the “will of God” to perform the task of seeking and finding. Amen.
