A command of Jesus

Ask, Seek, Knock

Read the Scripture

Scripture passages for Ask, Seek, Knock

Primary passage

Matthew 7:7–11

7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

World English Bible

Luke

Luke 11:5–13

5 He said to them, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’ 7 and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’? 8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs. 9 “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

World English Bible

The command

Ask, seek, and knock.

In context

Hear the whole passage.

In Matthew, this teaching stands within the Sermon on the Mount; in Luke, it follows instruction on prayer and a story about persistence.

What This Reveals About Jesus

Jesus invites persistent prayer that trusts the Father to hear and give what is good.

God is not reluctant or careless. Jesus presents the Father as attentive and generous toward those who ask Him.

Practice this command

Take one concrete step.

Choose one clear request and bring it to God each day this week. Seek wisdom in Scripture and trusted counsel, then knock by taking the next faithful action available.

Use with someone

Discuss it

How can persistent prayer deepen trust when the answer is delayed or different from what we expected?

Pray

Father, teach me to ask honestly, seek faithfully, and keep knocking with confidence in your goodness.

Teach it

Compare asking, seeking, and knocking as three pictures of active, persevering prayer.

Continue in the original collection

This command is source position 25 in the complete sequence.