Proclamation:
“So
I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock
and the door will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives; and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the
door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)
Explanation:
These
are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under
the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.
Luke begins this chapter with the response of Jesus to a request by one
of His disciples to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1) After He taught them the words to the model prayer
He began to teach them other things. He
told them that they would be given that which they ask for; they will find what
they are looking for; and any door they knock on will be opened for them. Then
Jesus responded to those in the crowd who thought that He was able to cast out
demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. He told them “Any kingdom divided against
itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” (Luke
11:17-20) A woman in the crowd yelled
out “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” But Jesus replied to her, “Blessed rather are
those who hear The Word of God and obey it.” (Luke 27-28) Jesus told the crowd that they were a wicked
generation which always asked for a sign and He would not give them one. (Luke
11:29) He then pronounced woes (great
sorrows or distress) on the Pharisees and the experts of the law. (Luke
11:37-53)
Application:
Jesus
was talking to His disciples, His students, when He said ask and you will
receive. The same applies to us today. However, we need to be careful regarding what
we pray for. We will be given what we
ask for if what we ask for is in keeping with His will and if it will give God
glory. We must have faith in God and
believe that we will receive what we ask for, then we will receive it. (Mark
11:22-24) The sincere prayers of the
righteous are productive. (James 5:16)
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