Seek Knock and Pray
Luke 11:1-13 (NIV)
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks fora fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 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!”
Lyrics
VERSE 1
Standing, silent, waiting, trying
To do what is right so I stay
At this door finding words to arrange
Planning, patient, I’m hoping, praying
For Him to come down so I can
Explain why I’m here empty handed
PRE-CHORUS 1
Standing still in hopeful wonder
Reaching out from desperate slumber
CHORUS 1
Asking for it to be given
Seeking and hoping to find
Knocking at the door I stand behind
Waiting on You
Knowing the Father above
And the Spirit who showers His love
On the ones who long for change to come, I say
I will seek knock and pray
VERSE 2
Asking, surely, knocking, holding
Out for the hope of a friend
Knowing the help He extends
Shameless, truly, listening, wanting
Then He finally says, “Okay come in
Your audacity gave you this win
PRE-CHORUS 2
How much do you need?”
Extending His all to me
CHORUS 1
Asking for it to be given
Seeking and hoping to find
Knocking at the door I stand behind
Waiting on You
Knowing the Father above
And the Spirit who showers His love
On the ones who long for change to come, I say
I will seek knock and pray
BRIDGE [4X]
So I’ll stay
I’ll stay and I’ll wait on You
I know
I know You will always come through
VERSE 3
Receiving, kindly, wondering, crying
Knowing God has heard my plea
Getting up for a poor man like me
Singing, loudly, exclaiming, proudly
Dancing my feet left the floor
Praising God as He opened the door
CHORUS 2
As I asked it was finally given
Seeking everywhere finally I found
Walking through the door I stood behind
Once waiting on You
Knowing my Father above
And His Spirit who showered His love
As I prayed and longed for change to come
Praise God three in one
Dive Deeper
Seek … for the one who seeks finds.
Suppose a friend asks you for something you do not have and therefore cannot give. Suppose you are in need of something you cannot gain on your own but can only be given. Then, suppose at the same time you know a generous friend who will give what you need if you only ask. What would you do? Would you ask your friend for help and seek after him, or would you throw your arms up in defeat? If you are unsure of what you would do, what would you encourage a friend or loved one to do in this situation? It can be difficult to seek because seeking takes effort, but the reward of seeking is seeking.
This song begins as a song of seeking. A guest has come to his house, but he has no food. The man seeks out food from a neighbor and finds himself standing outside the neighbor’s door longing for help because he knows he cannot provide what is needed on his own. Therefore, knowing a friend of his can provide what is needed he decides to seek him out.
In life there will be moments when seeking seems like the most daunting solution, and it would be easier to not seek. However, it is in moments of seeking where one finds the next steps or what he has been searching for. This passage of scripture tells us our Father provides for those who seek after Him. If we know how to give good gifts for those who seek us out for help, does not God know how to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!? Seek after God and if you do not know how, start with what you do know, and continue from there. The fact you are reading this is proof of your seeking. The result of what we find may not come in the form we think it will, but God will give what is needed to those who seek after Him. Know that your questions are not unimportant to God, and He longs to hear you ask Him; for It is not a question whether God will provide for you as you seek Him, the question is…
Will you seek?
Knock… for the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Suppose you are standing behind a door, what do you do? How would you get the attention of the one inside [doorbell excluded] … you knock? In order to hear from the other side, you must be willing to knock. However, when you knock, know the door is not always opened on the first knock. This does not mean it cannot be, but it means when the person on the other side is ready to open the door it will be opened.
Sometimes it may take one knock, sometimes it could take twenty, but will you stand and knock until it is? The man in this parable stood and knocked until the door was opened. The man on the other side told him he would get up because of the knocker’s shameless audacity and will give as much as is needed. The man on the inside could see how the man at the door was changing over time. At first, He was probably a little desperate to get the bread he needed for his guest, but over time he became more desperate and had time to think while knocking at the door. This time most likely allowed for him to work through his own thoughts as he waited outside the door.
Therefore, if God does not open a door immediately it may because there are areas in need of refinement in our own lives before the door can be opened. It may also be because the door is not ready to be opened or should not be opened. Still, if one does not have the courage to knock on the door, will they ever know if it will open? The question is not a matter of whether God will open the door for you in His perfect timing, but if God takes His time coming to the door or you find yourself at an unknown door will you raise your hand and prayers….
Will you knock?
Pray… for everyone who asks receives.
Christ teaches His disciples and us how to pray when asked. As His disciples were seeking after Him, one of them asks Christ to teach them how to pray, and Christ opens the door and teaches them. Verses 2-4 of Luke 11 teach us how to pray. Therefore, if you are worried what to say and feel you are lacking in words, simply pray as Christ has taught us. Yes, it is possible to pray more than this prayer (we are not confined to only reciting the Lord’s prayer), but when you are not sure where to start, start with the words of Christ in the book of Luke.
“2He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3Give us each day our daily bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
(but deliver us from evil
for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever
Amen)
Take this time to read and pray over the Lord’s prayer above. Recite it several times, allowing the words to penetrate your heart and invite the Holy Spirit to come and teach you how to pray. Seek after Him, Knock at the doors you have been standing behind, and Pray to your Heavenly Father who loves you and hears your words…
Will you Pray?
Hidden
Features
Biblical Point of View:
The man in the parable standing at the door of a neighbor asking
for food to give to his guest
Musical Explanation:
-
The narrative and character in this song progresses as the song
unravels. In verse 1 the man standing at the door asking to be let
in singing the first chorus. In verse 2 the man is still standing behind the door but then he is allowed to enter in, and in the bridge the man is declaring from his heart his desire to have change happen in his life. The third verse of the song is then sung from the man’s perspective after he has been let in and received the gift/blessing from the man on the other side. The last chorus contains elements of the first two choruses but is altered to symbolize the change in the man and the growth which has occurred throughout the song. The man sings “Praise God three in one” rather than “I will seek knock and pray” showing the man’s response to his prayers being answered, praise.
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The first four words of line in the verses show the thoughts running through the man’s head as He is standing at the door (ex. standing, silent, waiting, trying)
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Two voices are use in the second verse representing the two men in the story and to symbolize the man inside coming down. The vocals go up at the end to represent the door being opened.
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This is the first of Jesus’ parables to be sung in the album and the added harmonies represent the different disciples chiming in to sing and tell the stories together.
How to sing:
This song is to be sung from the perspective of a person who is forced to wait on someone else because they cannot do what needs to be done on their own. There is an eagerness and desperation of one who is antsy and hoping for their request to be granted. As you listen to/sing this song, do so with a sense of desperation but also joy in knowing the one on the other side of the door (God) will open the door at the right time if it is to be opened. As you listen to/sing this song, envision yourself pacing with a nervous energy as you talk to yourself and work through the situation with God in prayer.
