“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7, KJV).
In this verse the Lord Jesus lays out a powerful key to receiving answers to prayer and accessing the favor of heaven. He explains that prayer and petitions to God may require one or more modalities. The first is to simply ask. This one is the easiest and least strenuous, but it often does not have enough force of faith to produce a harvest, especially when demonic resistance is involved. The next key to petitioning heaven is to “seek” God. This involves asking but may also involve confessions of faith, or searching Scripture for a Bible verse to stand on in faith. It also involves a more intentional posture in prayer.
When asking and seeking does not cause one to gain spiritual ground, then the more aggressive approach may be needed, which is to “knock” on heaven’s proverbial door. The purpose of a knock is to get the attention of whoever is able to open the door. Knocking may involve fasting, corporate prayer, praying in the Spirit and/or other more fervent means of prayer.
The Lord gives a powerful promise to those who adhere to these three methodologies in the following verse: “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matt. 7:8, KJV). This verse should cause us to be elated with the guarantee that heaven will always respond when we pursue God sincerely. However, there is often another way that God uses.
Taking the Shortcut
When I was a kid, my family lived in a large apartment complex. Often, my dad and I would go out together on errands, and several times, he would leave the key to the house within the apartment. This was never an issue if my mother was home to open the door, but when she was at work, there were two options to enter the apartment.
The first option was to go to the rental office and ask them to send someone over to open the apartment door for us. These were the days before cell phones, so we could not simply call and request assistance. This option required that we walk quite a distance to the rental office and wait for them to send someone over to unlock our door. This was the guaranteed but lengthier option of the two.
My dad often chose the second option — an unconventional shortcut. This method of entering the apartment would involve him somehow jumping up several times to unlatch part of the window from the outside. Next, he would have me place my feet within his two clasped hands, and he would guide me in how to open the window from the outside. Once the window was open, the fun would follow! My dad would hoist me upward and forward through the window. I would never get hurt, but it was always fun crashing through the blinds and curtains. After landing on the couch, I would get up and open the front door to let my father into the house.
Recently while I was in prayer, God reminded me of these moments, which made me chuckle, but He used this memory as an analogy for a spiritual principle found in Scripture.
When the Windows Are Open
The door may be locked, but remember, God has windows too. God not only promises to open locked doors but also to open closed windows. The problem with knocking on a door is, firstly, one doesn’t know how hard they have to knock to get the attention of the person on the other side of the door. Secondly, one does not know how long they will have to knock (pray) before the knocks are answered. However, with an open window from God, you can just move through it with a little faith, like when I jumped through our apartment window when the door was locked.
Let’s examine some scriptures.
God Will Tell You How to Have an Open Window in Your Life
In Malachi 3, God chastises the children of Israel for not prioritizing the things of God in their hearts and lives. He specifically rebukes them for not tithing as instructed. God, as a good Father, promises that if they will repent and show their gratitude to Him and dependence upon Him through tithing, He will open the windows of heaven over the nation. Please note that the response from heaven here does not necessitate prayer but an act of obedience to the voice of God. He did not tell them to give and then seek, ask and knock in prayer, but He gave a simple promise: IF you do this, then I will do this on your behalf — I will open the windows of heaven.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10, KJV).
For the rest of this article, visit elijahlist.com. {eoa}
Demontae Edmonds is the founder of Freedom 4 the Nations, host of This is Freedom podcast on Charisma Podcast Network, and host of Atlanta’s Highways TV program. He travels the nations preaching the gospel with notable signs, wonders and miracles. His heart is to share the reality of Jesus Christ with the world through demonstrations of the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. He has authored the books Grab Hold of Your Miracle, Discerning of Spirits: 7 Dimensions of Revelation and The Supernatural Gift of Faith.
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