Reflections on Luke 11:9–10
Jesus said:
“And so I tell you, keep 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. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
— Luke 11:9–10 (NLT)
This is one of those scriptures that has both comforted me and challenged me over the years. I’ve quoted it in prayer, sung it in songs, and written about it—but it still never fails to stretch my faith.
A Call to Persistent Relationship
What strikes me about Jesus’ words here is the present progressive nature of each verb:
- Keep on asking.
- Keep on seeking.
- Keep on knocking.
This isn’t a one-time prayer tossed up into the heavens. It’s a lifestyle. A relationship. Jesus is calling us into ongoing, daily, moment-by-moment communion with our Father.
As a worship leader and pastor, I’ve seen people give up too quickly—on dreams, on healing, on relationships, and sometimes even on their faith. But Jesus invites us into persistence. Not because God is reluctant to respond, but because something powerful happens in the process of pressing in.
Ask: The Posture of Humility
To ask is to admit need.
To ask is to say, “God, I can’t do this without You.”
This goes against the grain of self-sufficiency. But when we ask, we position ourselves as children before a loving Father—just as Jesus taught earlier in this chapter with the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us each day our daily bread.” Not once a year. Daily.
What do you need to ask God for today? Is it wisdom for a decision? Strength for a trial? Provision for a need?
Don’t stop asking.
Seek: The Posture of Hunger
Seeking implies more than asking—it’s about pursuit. It’s active.
To seek is to say, “Lord, I want You. I want Your will. I want Your presence.”
One of the greatest pursuits of the Christian life is not what we can get from God—but God Himself. He said, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
Are you hungry for more of Him? Do you want to see His kingdom come in your life, in your family, in your church?
Don’t stop seeking.
Knock: The Posture of Boldness
Knocking speaks of opportunity. It’s a metaphor for access, for open doors, for breakthrough. And it’s noisy. It implies faith, courage, even desperation.
Some doors don’t open the first time you knock. But Jesus assures us: keep knocking—and the door will be opened.
Are there doors you’ve been praying about for a long time?
A breakthrough in ministry?
Healing in your body?
Revival in your church?
Don’t stop knocking.
A Promise We Can Trust
Jesus didn’t say, “Maybe you’ll receive, possibly you’ll find, perhaps the door will open.”
He said:
- Everyone who asks, receives.
- Everyone who seeks, finds.
- Everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
What a promise.
And it’s not based on how spiritual we feel or how good we’ve been. It’s based on the unchanging faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.
Jesus continues in this passage to remind us that even earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. “How much more,” He says, “will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
God’s heart is not stingy. He’s not holding back. He’s inviting us to draw near, stay close, and keep knocking.
Final Thoughts
In leadership and in life—we all face times when God seems silent or distant. But these verses remind us that our persistence is never wasted. Every prayer, every search, every knock is seen by the Father who loves us deeply.
So let’s be a people who keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking—not just for what we want, but for more of Him.
Let’s teach this to our teams. Let’s live this out in our churches. And let’s never stop believing that God is working, even when we don’t see it yet.
What are you asking God for today?
Where are you seeking Him?
What doors are you knocking on?
I’d love to hear your thoughts or pray with you. Leave a comment below, or send me a message.
With you on the journey,
Mark
