Devotionals for the Heart: When persevering in prayer is your lifeline

Ask, Seek, Knock
A devotional by Erica Bryant

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”—Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

There are times when we feel completely depleted.

We find ourselves overwhelmed, uncertain, and searching for solid ground. In those moments, prayer isn't just helpful, it becomes our lifeline. Prayer was a lifeline for Jesus Christ when He was living on Earth, too! He was often found stealing away to pray, finding comfort in His Heavenly Father's voice.

If prayer was essential for Jesus who is the Savior of the world (John 3:16-17), how much more essential should it be for us?

Prayer was central to Christ’s teachings. He addressed it twice in what The Holy Bible calls, “the Sermon on the Mount”. In Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus teaches on proper prayer, emphasizing sincerity and providing a model for praying powerfully and with authority. Then in Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus shifts our focus with three powerful verbs: ask, seek, knock. These three words aren’t suggestions. They’re commands infused with urgency and bold persistence. Jesus, however, doesn’t just command; He also promises. He promises that those who ask will receive, those who seek will find, and those who knock will have doors opened to them.

Jesus encourages us to be persistent in prayer. Even when our prayers seem unanswered or there is silence, the imperative form of the verbs used in Matthew 7:7-8 encourages us to continue asking, seeking, and knocking persistently.

The promises in Matthew 7:7-8 highlight that as children of God, we can confidently approach our Heavenly Father, knowing He hears us and answers our prayers. Jesus uses examples of earthly fathers giving good gifts to their children to illustrate the surpassing love of our Heavenly Father. If, despite their imperfections, earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children out of love, how much more will God, who loves us relentlessly, desire to give us good gifts when we ask (Matthew 7:9-11). Our Heavenly Father's love far surpasses that of earthly parents and is demonstrated through the sacrificial love of Jesus.

Understanding God’s character changes everything. He is a Good Father who knows how to give good gifts to His children. Prayer isn't manipulation; it's connection. It's a relationship of love and trust. So, pray BIG, BOLD prayers. Trust God's plans. Know that He wants to exceed your expectations.

If we are honest, as we carefully look at the promises found in these passages, we may be thinking, “This doesn’t describe my reality! I ask and have not received. I have sought and have not found. I have knocked and am still met with closed doors!” Yes, that may be true, but James 4:3 (NIV) offers an answer to your problem. God says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

But what about those times when you've prayed in God's will, and the promises of Matthew 7:7-8 still feel impossibly distant from your actual life? Let this truth found in Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV), anchor you: God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Look closely at Matthew 7:8 again. Everyone who asks receives, but it doesn't specify what is received. The one who seeks finds, but it does not share exactly what is to be found. Doors open to those who knock, but God, in His sovereignty, opens the doors He deems right for you. We must trust that our Heavenly Father knows what's best for us. He won't give us what we can't handle or steward well. He shields us from things that could harm us or pull us from Him, even the things we desperately want.

Here's another truth to hold onto, found in Ephesians 3:20 (ESV). It says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Here’s what I’ve learned: Sometimes we ask too small. God wants to exceed not just our expectations, but also our imaginations.

And sometimes there's silence. There's waiting on God to answer our prayers. In those moments, remember what Jesus actually said. In the original Greek text, the verbs for “ask”, “seek”, and “knock” are all written in the present active tense. Grammatically, this signifies continuous, ongoing, and persistent action. Rather than a one-time request, a more literal and accurate translation is: “Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking.”

Don’t stop. Be persistent. Keep praying. What does it mean to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking?

To keep asking might look like returning to God repeatedly with a request, desire, or need, not because He didn't hear you the first time, but because you trust He's listening every time. It's a mother who prays for provision every morning or a person wrestling with addiction who asks for strength for today, tomorrow, and the day after that. When you keep asking, you refuse to let anything convince you that God isn't there.

To keep seeking means actively looking for God's hand in your circumstances, even when the answer isn't what you expected. It's studying Scripture to understand His character better. It's listening for His voice in the quiet moments, in conversations with others, in the way doors open and close. Seeking isn't passive waiting; it's an intentional pursuit.

To keep knocking is showing up. It's returning to prayer when you're tired. It’s taking action aligned with your prayers. It's trusting that even when one door closes, God is opening another. It's the persistence that says, “I believe, even when I can't see.” It’s trusting that you have a Good Father who loves you more than you know and could imagine. He is the One who holds your future in His hands and knows what’s best for you.

Trust in God’s goodness and know that if you ask, He will answer; if you seek, you will find; and if you knock, He will open a door for you.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Father,

Thank You for being a God who loves me so deeply and intimately. You know what I need and what is best for me. When I pray, please help me to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Grant me the faith to believe that You hear my prayers and because of Your love for me, You will answer them. Help me embrace Your answers, even when they don’t align with my expectations, trusting that You can exceed them.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Song of Reflection #1: “Good, Good Father” by Chris Tomlin, ft. Pat Barrett. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Don’t Stop Praying” by Matthew West. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “The Benediction” by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #4: “He’s Able” by Deitrick Haddon. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #5: “The Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Erica N. Bryant is a passionate Bible teacher, speaker, and author who desires to see believers live in the complete freedom and joy of the Holy Spirit. 

As the founder of Sparrow's Song Ministries, Erica invites a community of believers to get to know God by falling in love with His Word. Through Bible study resources, devotionals, teaching, and mentorship, Sparrow's Song encourages others to grow in intimacy with God and walk daily in the power of His Holy Spirit. She began The Word W.O.R.K.S. campaigns to help believers walk in Wholeness, Obedience, Righteousness, and Kingdom Success.

Erica is a writer with several published works including devotionals for adults and children, topical and textual Bible studies, and Scripture journals. In her debut book, Dwell: Living Life Fully Knowing that the Holy Spirit Lives in You, Erica draws from her own journey of healing from childhood trauma, rejection, and the struggles of fear and anxiety. With honesty and hope, she invites readers to embrace the life-giving truth that God's Spirit resides within them. Erica believes that when you know the Holy Spirit dwells in you, everything changes.

Erica is a passionate speaker who effectively communicates God’s Word with clarity and conviction. She speaks a relevant word to hearers and ministers to their hearts, inspires practical application, and empowers them to grow in faith and purpose.

Erica is a devoted wife and loving mother who actively serves in various roles at Strait Gate Deliverance Center.

Ultimately, she is just a girl in love with God and she is a soldier for Jesus Christ.