Luke 11:9-11 9And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Jesus follows the short parable of the friend at midnight with the timeless truth that specifically addresses the need to not give up in prayer. The statement is introduced with a solemn statement that introduces the saying. Whenever Jesus says, I say to you, the reader should take note because some form of proclamation will follow. Jesus’ saying is divided into two parts with three phrases each using synonymous parallelism. They show a progression of intensity that matches the story of the friend at midnight.
There is an assumed condition to each of the parts. If a person asks, he or she will receive. But if a person does not ask, that person will not receive. Asking is the way to receive. Each of the words ask, seek, and knock represent prayer. Many people ask God for things, but their asking is without faith and often for selfish reasons. Asking God acknowledged that God has the answer and can provide what is needed. Seeking is more intensive and involves looking for the answer in faith. The greatest thing we can seek is to be in God’s presence, to seek after God in communion. Knocking shows action and trying to get someone’s attention so we can be invited in. Sometimes God wants us to act in some tangible way in faith with our prayers.
Prayer can also be a form of testing. Instead of answering our prayers right away, God may want our faith to be strengthened through waiting. Each of the verbs is present tense, implying that these actions are not a one-time deal but should be continuous and may require repetition. Praying the prayer Jesus taught his disciples should become a daily habit.
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