“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8 NIV
For years I knocked on one particular door patiently waiting and hoping for God to open said door. After a long season of unanswered prayers I stopped praying for anything but, that one door to open.
Years of my life was spent thinking God was not opening the door because there was something wrong with me or that I was not good enough for the door to be open.
I was so focused on the one door that I stopped believing God could answer any of my prayers. I am sure I never stopped praying because I have lists of prayers for other people however; I stopped believing He could answer my prayers.
This morning as I was reading for Lent I came across Matthew 7:7-12 and was shocked at The Passion Translation. I am moved to tears by something I had NEVER considered.
“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.”
—Matthew 7:7-8 TPT
The words, “and everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door” brought me to tears. You see in January I began a study on spiritual disciplines and I began to pray again yet, differently. I began to pour my heart out in new ways and He answered BIG!
Then this month I was praying again and even reached out to a handful of trusted friends to pray with me and God again answered my prayer.
When we get lost in the need for one thing and we stop praying for everything we can feel lost, deserted and alone but, when we boldly begin to pray about everything God is with us in the search for an open door.
Looking back I thought I knew what I wanted. I can see now that, I was trying to fill a void inside of me with something external. If my prayer would have been answered then I would not be who I am today.
This revelation has shook something loose in my soul. We are called to diversify our prayers. Praying and seeking God’s wisdom knowing eventually a door will be opened. When we get stuck staring at just one door hoping and praying for it to open we can lose sight of the bigger picture of God’s goodness and plan for our lives.
It is okay that I stayed stuck and it is okay that my heart breaks a little when I think of the unanswered prayer. Yet, I know my hope still belongs with the One who is always with me trying to get me to look beyond my own suffering and circumstance to see the beauty all around me right where I am at today.
May you be encouraged to continue praying with expectation of God’s goodness. May you begin to look at all the available doors praying with expectation that eventually the right door will open.
