“Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Matthew 7:7 (GNT)

It was Christmastime years ago and the toy was a “Playmobile,” an older version of a toy/activity for toddlers and preschoolers now. The Playmobile was really a child’s version of the dashboard of an automobile. I was absolutely certain that was a gift I wanted Santa to bring or my parents to give me for Christmas.

Every time we went into the grocery store, there the Playmobile sat on the top shelf … alluring children to want to turn the steering wheel, switch the ignition to hear a purring sound, shift gears, turn the windshield wipers on, blow the horn, adjust the mirrors etc. I just had to have one and I knew that if I had that toy I would not want anything else. (Haha!) I received one for Christmas but it held my interest more when it was out-of-reach than it did when I could actually play with it.

In today’s scripture passage the three imperatives: ask, seek and knock are followed by the statements: you will receive, you will find, and the door will be opened. These actions suggest that we should be persistent if we expect to receive, to find, and for the door to be opened. Later, in the passage Jesus speaks of fathers giving good gifts to their children who ask. If human fathers, who are sometimes bad, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?

I believe being persistent in making our requests known to God helps us to clarify what we really want. Is it a whim or is it an earnest heartfelt desire? I suppose that I was successful in wheedling my parents into getting me a Playmobile, although by their initial hesitancy, I now suspect that they knew this toy would not bring me hours of entertainment. They knew that it would not be the gift to make me truly happy. Fortunately for us, God wants only the best for us and through our persistent prayer we may come to realize what it is that we truly want. As our desires are found to be in accord with God’s will, then we may be confident that God will give those good gifts to us who ask.

Prayer

Giver of every good and perfect gift, we thank You for all of your gifts of love. We are thankful for Jesus’ words encouraging us to pray persistently so that we may come to know what we really want. Help us to trust that You want only the best for us and that you will provide for all of our needs. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.