Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you..."

"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (Luke 11:9).

Question:

I am asking of this verse because I am praying for my mom that she gets a job. I was having conflicts with myself on whether this prayer was selfish, but upon reading the verse, I decided and felt within my heart that it is okay to pray and keep praying and to be consistent. Is this what this verse means? It isn’t selfish prayer, and I have prayed this before, and God has answered. But, I guess I have a lack of faith because she hasn't got any interview calls for about a month. So, I feel it is in God's plan and that I need to be persistent and make Him the center. Is this correct? Thanks for your help.

Comment:

Certainly praying that your mom find a job is not a selfish prayer! It's an essential part of the process of receiving our good that Jesus is describing here. What's important to remember is that it's a process. It isn't that a distant God is withholding your mom's job, and will only give it to her if you (or she) ask nicely. No, the spiritual truth Jesus teaches is that all of God's love, abundance and blessing are constantly available. The problem is that we don't fully believe that we deserve it, or we don't know how to claim it. So what Jesus describes here is a three-step process that begins with prayer, but also includes taking action to clear away obstacles and find the Good that's already present and available. If we ask in prayer, what we receive is guidance on which choices, which path will lead to the good we're seeking. We “seek” by taking the steps, making the choices, doing the work that Spirit inspires us to do to clear away obstacles in consciousness that are preventing the good from expressing. Then, when the possibility is clear before us, we “knock”—we claim the good with deep appreciation and an eagerness to allow that good to flow through us into the world.   I affirm with you that your mom's right and perfect new job, hers by divine right, is moving to her now through time and space, quickly and in peace.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed