“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:10).

When my wife and I took our three young children on their first airplane flight, we fretted over the trip.  We packed extra bags with candy, snacks, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, books, video games, and movies.  Our goal was to anticipate every need and be able to meet any ask or deploy a fix to prevent a mid-flight meltdown.

In fairness to my kids, they behaved wonderfully, and the trip was delightful.

Like a good parent, God knows us. He loves us. He understands our needs, and he’s prepared to meet them.  Knowing this, Jesus encourages us to act. He encourages us to ask, to seek, and to knock.  Ask and it will be given.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened.    

Ask! Prayer is the most obvious way to ask for something.  While praying can take many forms, from a memorized prayer, a favorite psalm or Bible verse, to a simple conversation, the ask is the important part.  Like a good parent, God is not focused on the structure of how we ask.  He only wants me to engage with him and ask.

Seek! Jesus tells me that if I am active in faith, I will find what I’m looking for.  Seeking through membership in a church, small group worship, connecting with our community or acts of service are all ways I believe I can seek answers from God.  Just like a good parent, God knows what I’m seeking and will help me find it.

Knock! I know that not every door in life will be automatically open.  Seeking God will sometimes be a challenge.  I’ll face closed doors or other obstacles.  But through my faith in God, I won’t let those stop me.  Jesus isn’t promising that my relationship with God will make my life easy, only that through my relationship with God, those doors blocking my path will be opened.

After connecting with the words of Jesus, I realized that what makes me a good parent is not the willingness to sherpa three extra bags of candy, toys, and treats onto a plane.  It’s that I love my children, and as imperfect as I am, I’m willing to do my best to meet all their needs.  Which leaves me in awe of the love that a perfect God is offering me. All I need to do is to keep asking, seeking, and knocking!  

We all have needs God can fill, and Jesus asks us to do three things: Ask! Seek! Knock! Is there one area that you’re really engaged with God on? Keep going! Is there another area where you can engage more? Open your heart to more opportunities!