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ESV"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
NIV"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
NASBAsk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
CSB"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
NLTKeep 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.
KJVAsk, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
NKJV“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.
Matthew's telling of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2) continues as Jesus turns the topic back to prayer. Instead of providing a model prayer this time, Jesus describes the attitude through which the children of God should bring their requests to Him. This statement also speaks to God's willingness to answer those who sincerely seek Him (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; Matthew 7:8).
Scholars believe the wording here might suggest a rising intensity. This might be a poetic arrangement, where "ask" means a single request, "seek" refers to something more persistent, and "knock" implies deep persistence. That would imply something to the effect of "ask, ask again, and keep asking." The Greek verbs here are in a form that implies constant action: Jesus is saying we ought to "continue to ask…seek…knock."
The heart of Jesus' point is that God is listening, paying attention to His people, and ready to give them good gifts. What a remarkable truth! The God of all creation cares so deeply about His children that He hears them when they pray. Even better: He answers. This also speaks to those with doubts and questions about faith. Those who lack faith, but pursue truth, will find it in Christ (Mark 9:24; John 14:6).
Since God is listening and loving, Jesus tells His listeners to ask, to seek, and to knock. When you ask, it will be given. When you seek, you will find. When you knock, the proper door will be opened. Jesus commands His followers to bring their requests, to look for answers, and ask to be let into God's presence. Instead of putting limits and conditions on these promises, Jesus is even more expansive in the following verse.
Jesus will continue, however, to clarify that these promises are not a means of manipulating God. Prayer is never presented in Scripture as a means to merely get our way, as if He were merely magic or a system for success. Instead, these verses are an invitation to interact with a generous Father who loves to hear the prayers of His people.
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THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.