What is the difference between asking, seeking, and knocking?
Asking is the expression of the soul's desire — we keep on asking, persistently, and then listen for God's answer, often through the Word. Seeking is a step beyond: having asked, we go looking for the answer and maintain the desire to obtain it — even being willing to become part of the answer ourselves. Knocking is laboring to see the prayer fulfilled — through preparation, pursuit, and persistent application, because we really want what we are asking for.
Also asked: What's the difference between praying for something, searching for a way to have it, and actually striving to achieve it?
Also asked, more loosely
What does it mean to ask God for something in prayer, seek for it, and then actually try to make it happen? · How do I go from just praying for something to working towards making it a reality in my life?
Source: The Basics The Basics, Unit 2, Lesson 2-5 — The Supply Line–Prayer
What this answer is about
Related questions
- What does the Bible teach about energized prayer?Matthew 7:7-8 · The Basics
- What does the Bible teach about the soul, including its strengths and weaknesses, and how it relates to spiritual warfare and the filling of the Holy Spirit?Romans 8:26 · The Basics
- How would you explain prayer and the priesthood of the believer to a friend? What Scriptures would you use?Romans 8:26 · The Basics
- What is the significance of the phrase 'the times and the epochs' in 1 Thessalonians 5:1?Romans 8:26 · The Basics
See also
- What is the relationship between Bible study and prayer?Same lesson · The Basics
- Explain the command to “pray without ceasing.”Same lesson · The Basics
- To what did Jesus compare prayer in Matthew 7:7–11?Same lesson · The Basics
- What are the three promises and the three conditions to those promises in Matthew 7:7–8?Same lesson · The Basics
- What two prayers are always right and always honoring to God?Same lesson · The Basics
- Name ten characteristics of the essence of God and explain the meaning of each.Same lesson · The Basics
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