The Word for Today – Knock

 

The Word for Today – Knock

D.P. Weary

December 30, 2025

The Promise

[Mat 7:7 ESV] "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

[Mat 7:8 ESV] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

[Mat 7:9 ESV] Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

[Mat 7:10 ESV] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

[Mat 7:11 ESV] If you then, who are 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!

In context, there are conditions for this promise.

[Mat 7:1 ESV] "Judge not, that you be not judged.

[Mat 7:6 ESV] "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

We are warned against judgmental attitudes and self-blind criticism, but we are not to suspend all discernment. There are some good, precious things that should not be given to those who will receive them with contempt and speak evil of the Way.

 “The gospel is to be preached to every creature, Mark 16:15. But when the Jews were hardened, and spoke evil of that way before the multitude, Acts 19:9, the apostles left preaching them.” (Poole)

[Act 19:9 ESV] But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

[Mat 7:12 ESV] "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

[Mat 7:15 ESV] "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Believing in false prophets, false doctrine, and distorted teachings can void the promise.

[Mat 7:21 ESV] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Our prayers of asking must be consistent with the will of the Father.

[Mat 7:22 ESV] On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

[Mat 7:23 ESV] And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

The promise is null and void for those who live lives of unrepented lawlessness.

Lawlessness - ἀνομία, -ας, ἡ, (ἄνομος);
1. properly, the condition of one without law — either because ignorant of it, or because violating it.
2. contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness:

[Rev 3:19 ESV] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

[Rev 3:20 ESV] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

[Rev 3:21 ESV] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

[Rev 3:15 ESV] "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

[Rev 3:16 ESV] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

[Rev 3:17 ESV] For you say, "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing," not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Conquers are overcomers, those who are overcoming their old sinful ways and overcoming the sinful call and ways of a fallen world.

[Rev 3:22 ESV] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

People whose prayers are answered are those that hear what the Spirit is saying.

[Luk 13:22 ESV] He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

[Luk 13:23 ESV] And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,

[Luk 13:24 ESV] "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

[Luk 13:25 ESV] When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'

[Luk 13:26 ESV] Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'

[Luk 13:27 ESV] But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'

Those that are rejected are unrepentant workers of evil.

Perhaps one of the most abused use of words to get prayers answered is “in the name of Jesus.” Just uttering the name Jesus is not a magic word to get prayers answered yet the promise is:

[Jhn 14:13 ESV] Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

[Jhn 14:14 ESV] If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

[Jhn 15:7 ESV] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

[Jhn 15:16 ESV] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

[Jhn 16:23 ESV] In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

[Jhn 16:24 ESV] Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

If a law enforcement officer says he comes in the name of the law, he is saying that he has the full authority and power of the law behind him and he has orders to enforce the law, often with specific instructions or orders to follow.

Praying, asking, or to do anything “in the name of Jesus” to be effective means one has the delegated authority and the power from Jesus to do so. The delegated authority comes by being “born again.”  Someone is born again when they confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead. [Rom 10:9 ESV] Jesus gave His disciples authority in John 20:22-23.

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." [Jhn 20:22-23 ESV]

The power to enforce this authority comes when the Holy Spirit comes upon the born-again believer.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." ... 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." [Act 1:4-5, 8 ESV]

Praying in the name of Jesus also means that the prayer is consistent with His character, is in unity with His mind [a unity of aim and of motive]. Effective prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus. Unanswered prayers often are caused by something not being right in one’s relationship with the Godhead [With the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit]. It is in and through the “abiding, the relationship” that one gets the authority, the power, the right aim and motive, and the right implementation instructions for asking, seeking, knocking prayers.

[Jas 1:5 ESV] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Asking for wisdom first is always a good practice.

[Jas 1:6 ESV] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

[Jas 4:2 ESV] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

[Jas 4:3 ESV] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

[1Jo 3:22 ESV] and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

[1Jo 5:14 ESV] And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

[Col 3:1 ESV] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

[Heb 11:6 ESV] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Lack of faith and doubting are always hindrances in getting answered prayers.

Asking for the wrong reasons and asking based on our own passions leads to unanswered prayers. Asking to do what pleases God, asking according to His will, seeking the things that are above, and asking in faith are keys that lead to answered prayers.

 

But, the first step to answered prayers is seeking Him, seeking Jesus, and establishing a relationship with Him - knocking on His door!

"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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” [Mat 7:7-8 ESV]

11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. [Jer 29:11-13 NLT]

For all who do not know the Lord Jesus, who do not have a relationship with Him, who have not made Him their Lord and Savior, now is the time! The prophetic clock is very near the zero hour. The time is coming when one will knock and the door will not be opened. Do not be one of those. Seek Him now! Knock now! And the door to His heart and His Kingdom will be opened to you. Find Jesus and you will find freedom from fear, peace in a troubled world, freedom from guilt and shame, a hope and a future, and freedom from death [eternal life] as a son or daughter of God the Father and the Bride of Christ Jesus.