Keep At It

Luke 11:⁹ “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.” (NIV, emphasis added).

Imagine you need something, and you get to the house of the person that has it, then you knock once and leave because no one is answering the door. Who does that? It just means you are really not interested in getting it in the first place. If you are really interested, you knock and wait for a response. If no one comes to the door, you knock again and keep knocking until you get a response. Even children do this; a child sees his parents go into their room but when the child needs their attention, whether the door is locked or not, does not matter to him. Depending on the personality of the child, he will stay at that door and knock until he gets a response.

What I used to do is I will sit by the door and keep knocking until I get a response. Then my dad or my mum will open the door and say, ‘What are you doing here? Go away, all the other children have gone.’ But I refused to go because I knew they were in there. Matthew 7:^7-8 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” The words Knock, Ask, and Seek are in present continuous. God wants us to be persistent, to ask and keep on asking, to seek and keep on seeking, to knock and keep on knocking. How many people will pick up their phone to call someone and cut off the call after the first ring and then claim the person is not picking up? No, that is flashing; you really have not called the person. If you call someone, you wait for it to ring.

If you are seeking God, you take your time to pray and trust that He will answer. Jesus concludes this parable with a challenging question. Luke 18:⁸ “…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (NIV, emphasis added). Jesus paints a picture of faith that is unrelenting, and that will not back down. We can almost hear His heart when He says, when I come back will I find this kind of faith – people who will not give up, who will stay true to the cause, people who will keep knocking? I pray that He finds it in you and I in the Mighty Name of Jesus. So, why do I keep praying even though it appears the answer is not coming?

I keep praying because I am focusing on God, clarifying my request, I am being prepared for the answer, and I keep praying because I am strengthening my faith. If you keep looking up and you refuse to give up, you will be lifted in the Name of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, I receive the grace to keep on asking, knocking, and seeking in the Name of Jesus. The grace and the strength for persistent faith, in Jesus Name. Amen!