ASK

ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;  'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him';  "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Luke 11:5-10

Jesus encouraged all of  His disciples to pray to  their heavenly Father concerning their needs, spiritual, physical, and financial  and to ask, seek, and knock with a promise that “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” So if men are lacking anything and their needs are not being met it’s because they are not heeding the words of Jesus who clearly told them what to do including:

So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done  On earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins,  For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation,  But deliver us from the evil one." Luke 11:1-4

God is more willing to give than His children are willing to ask.  Heaven is full of things that were not given or done by God to His children because they did not ask, seek and knock! God’s has done His part and His sons and daughters must do their part. For God’s word is unchanging:

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,    To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,  as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,  to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,  to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 2 Peter 1:1-9

By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ God through His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.  Promises that have no value if they are not believed, claimed and acted on!

It’s up to each children of God to add to His faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  Again God has done His part and redemption plan is finished! But God’s children have to enter in and appropriate the victories of the cross and see them become a reality in their lives. "For the persistence ones Jesus has promised that God will rise and give them  as much as they need.  As God’s word is unchanging:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.  Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:13-18

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man doesn’t avail little but much. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word much as:

much (m¾ch) adj. more (môr, m½r), most (m½st). 1. Great in quantity, degree, or extent. --much n. 1. A large quantity or amount. 2. Something great or remarkable. --much adv.

In other words the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man produces something great or remarkable and even miraculous. As God’s word is unchanging:

When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter,  And our tongue with singing.  Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  The LORD has done great things for us,  And we are glad.

Bring back our captivity, O LORD,  As the streams in the South.  Those who sow in tears  Shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping,  Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,  Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:1-6

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:11

Well if the prayers of one righteous man produce great results, how about the collective prayers of many righteous ones? They will produce even greater results:

So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,  "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:  'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?  The kings of the earth took their stand,  And the rulers were gathered together  Against the LORD and against His Christ.' "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together  "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.  Acts 4:24-31

EXTRACT FROM Be Filled With All The Fullness Of God  
http://walthope.tripod.com/befilled.htm