294. Knock and open.

"Knock and the door will be opened to you ... For everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." - (Matthew 7:7-8) When we don't receive what we have asked for in prayer, we wonder why we didn't receive because it seems to contradict the earlier statement of Jesus: "Ask and it will be given you ... For everyone who asks receives". More may be involved behind unanswered prayers than we can possibly know and that's why Jesus said: "Seek and you will find ... For everyone who seeks finds." This revelation of the truth gives us the boldness to persist in prayer! To emphasize the need for boldness, Jesus spoke the parable of the persistent friend : "Suppose one of you has a friend and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me and I have nothing to set before him.' "Then the one inside answers, 'Dont bother me. The door is locked ... I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs." - (Luke 11:5-8) What audacity to ask, that too in the middle of the night! But Jesus seems to appreciate such boldness and wants us to knock on the doors of heaven during the midnight hours of our lives! Jesus observed that it was not because of the goodness of that friend, that he got up to answer the knock on the door but because of the other man's boldness! How much more certain when we knock on the door of heaven, because the one inside who answers is the God of all goodness! Both the goodness of God and the persistence of man to find that goodness, creates the atmosphere for miracles! "Persistence pays" and is in fact the secret to the infilling! "If you then , though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." - (vs 13) In his goodness he has given us promises that he is faithful to fulfill and has the power to fulfill. Therefore, we can take him at his word and its as good as done! That's why Scripture says that 'God calls things that are not as though they were' - (Romans 4:17) because the outcome has been preset. That's the secret of divine healing! How else could Scripture say: 'By his wounds you have been healed' - ( 1 Peter 2:24), if it is not a done deal (an outcome that has been finalized)? We can be absolutely certain that the floodgates of heaven will be opened if we keep on doing the right thing and that's the secret to the blessing! "Test me in this", says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not thrown open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - (Malachi 3:10) The secret to the gospel promises of infilling, healing and blessing is our persistent knocking and its just a matter of time before it opens up! Amen.