WPCa G| $#2ؘS3TzrG(Wx|gɬhЯ볖J?k$zol\0 ]ՐA~UXm%upgJ@pi~ i#ئy eRmTGyi98ҵfmfIoO)ab/`h#=U.&+ ‹C z$kX"N%8x鴺VZ 0It $cylIa,jk5SKj͚M\ڲahP98 he_Y4!F;ґ1DrA0 {:cZGI}/9Ko-x*&er0%p[\a/(nj?Δ*C-TfmY R0d} G>3$l ^ OU^/|;B7(̊ƭk0`# UN %% 0:+ U@e U @ 0c 0cH ^ w 4   m 0X OHP LaserJet 5/5M PostScript0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,.%$ p`(CenturyRegularTT(O Z(Times New Roman (;3u$ O!ʏ  (;3u$ O!ʏ  [4 u4:i+003|xU:Crouch BkletBooklet printing for Crouch lessonsd3'P'XXXXCrouch Lesson&((h nHt%``HHTR'3Crouch Lesson3' '3Crouch Lessons  'PT7d7*XX,XX* s //// u)XXXX  _@((  TheSermonontheMountLesson22  x u*XXXX  _  Ask...Seek...Knock !USUS.,  _ (d3'P'XXXXCrouch Lesson&((h nHt%``HHTRO'3Crouch LessonX3' Letter'3Avery 5198 Audio Tape Landscape3'LetterT8XXdd8*XX,XX* s XcXXXnXXc  @tt 8y&n THESERMONONTHEMOUNTLESSONTWENTYTWO (&8yԈ X @  "Ask...Seek...Knock"   @ #8y&(#K)-&8yMatthew7:711;Luke11:913 @ INTRODUCTION" ( I.0  ThistextisatremendousdeclarationoftheLordJesusconcerningabasic ` ruleoflife:Fervent,persistentprayer.( II.0  It,togetherwithitsparallelinLuke11:913,affirmsthewonderfultruth    thatthereisdivinewisdomanddivineaidavailablefortheasking,tothe    childofGodwhoseeksforitearnestly,persistently,andaccordingtothe  H  willofGod.h   0  X III.ThislessonisanemphaticencouragementtoheedtheadmonitioninLuke   18:1:"Thattheyoughtalwaystopray,andnottofaint."h  0  X IV.0TheBibleteachesoverandover( 1 )thatGodhearsprayer(1Peter3:12); P  ( 2 )thatprayerunlocksthedoortoheavenlytreasuretothepeopleofGod  (Mark11:2224);( 3 )thatGodanswerstheferventprayersofhischildren  whocrytohimdayandnight(Luke18:7);( 4 )thatpersistentprayer,by P therighteous,isessentialandcertaintoberewarded(IJohn5:14,15; p Hebrews4:1416).8 V.0  Thereispowerinbelievingprayertochangeyourlife(John15:7;James p 1:58).8 DISCUSSION"    I.0  THENATUREOFEFFECTUALPRAYER. (Matthew7:7;Luke X 11:9)x    A.0  Jesusencouragesprayer: "Ask,anditshallbegivenyou;seekand   yeshallfind;knock,anditshallbeopeneduntoyou."(7)x!     1.0  Thoughnotlimitedtoprayer,theprincipletaughtherebythe @" Lordhastodoprimarilywithearnest,persistent,Christian `# petitiontothethroneofgrace.($     2.0  Theterms"ask...seek...knock,"expressprogressioninintensityof % desire. `&     3.0  "Asking"withthevoicesimplyexpressesdesireforwhatone !(' needs;"seek"describespursuitorsearchwiththeentirebeing; H"( "knock"isemphaticallyaskingforadmissionthroughadoor X hithertolockedagainsthimwhoseeksentryinspiteof   hindrances.   B.0  Thesupremetragedyoftodayisperhapsthefact( 1 )thatthereissuch x  anabundanceofheavenlysuppliesavailablefortheasking,( 2 )that @ Jesushassuchgreatauthorityanddesiretograntthesesuppliestoall  whoask,seek,andknock,( 3 )thatneedyhumanityissufferingin x suchdirespiritualpoverty,but( 4 )thatthereissuchtragicfailureto @ pray,largelybecausetheyfeelnoneedofprayer,havenohighhopes `   orloftyspiritualambitionsornobledreams,andaresatisfied, (   evidentlywithlifejustlikeitis.Feelingnoneedofanythingfrom    God,recognizingnospiritualhunger,theyaskforpractically  `  nothing.Theirburningdesiresaredirectedtoward"thingswhichare  (  seen"andcannotsatisfy.H   II.0  THEPOWEROFPERSISTENTPRAYER. (Matthew7:8;Luke   11:10)H    A.0  Assurancerepeated: "Foreveryonethat_asketh_Ԁ_receiveth_;andhe 0 that_seeketh_Ԁ_findeth_;andtohimthat_knocketh_Ԁitshallbeopened."(8)     1.0  Thepreceptenjoinedistriple;theassuranceofJesusissixfold.h     2.0  "Everyone"ofthoseincludedinthecategoryofwhomJesuswas 0 speaking:i.e.,histruedisciples,whocansay,"OurFatherwho P artinheaven"(6:9).   0  3.0"Thesewordsarefarmorethanapromisetoanswerprayer;and,  dependingonwhatmenprayfor,theymaybeevenathreat." P "_Coffman_.p     4.0  Thoughnotstatedhere,theconditionsofprevailingprayer 8 elsewheretaughtarenecessarilyimpliedhere(Matthew6:14,15;  James1:6,7;4:3;1John5:14).p   B.0  TheeffectivepowerofprayertoGod'schildishereinrepeated.X      1.0  To"ask"impliesanadmissionofneedandasenseof  ! dependence,definitelyexpressedtoapersonwhocansupply " saidneed.X#     2.0  To"seek"istoengageinthedivinelyapprovedmethodof x $ pursuitbywhichGodhaspromisedtosupplyourneeds; itis @% committingoneselftothewholeheartedeffortnecessaryto  & receive (1Peter4:19). x'     3.0  To"knock"istouse"thegoldenkeythatunlocksGod'sgreat !@( storehouse"(cf.Luke11:58).`" ) Ї  C.0  LetusnotlimitGod'sabilitytosupplyourneeds(Philippians4:19) X bylackoflivingfaithorfailuretopray(Luke18:8).   0  X III.STRONGENCOURAGEMENTTOPRAY. (Matthew7:711;cf.Luke X 11:1113)x  ____  A.0  Whatman: "Orwhatmanisthereofyou,who,ifhissonshallask  himforaloaf,willgivehimastone?"(9)x     1.0  Thisargumentfromanalogyisintheformofarhetorical @ question.`       2.0  Itdependsforitsforceupontheknownfeelingthatfathers (   generallyhavefordoinggoodtotheirchildren.       3.0  Farfromdenyinghischildthenecessaryfoodforwhichheasks,  `  earthlyfathersnormallyareeagertogivethemgoodblessings. (  ____  B.0  Serpentforfish: "Orifheshallaskforafish,willhegivehima   serpent?"(10)      1.0  Luke11:12adds:"Orifheshallaskforanegg,willhegivehim H  ascorpion?"h     2.0  TheLord'sargumenthere,frompredictablehumanconduct, 0 affirmsGod'slikenesstomanwhowascreatedinhisimage  (Genesis1:27).h     3.0  Thisistrueevenofsinfulmen,whoreadilygivewhatthey 0 considergoodgiftstotheirchildrenwhocrytothem.P ____  C.0  Howmuchmore: "Ifyethen,beingevil,knowhowtogivegood  giftsuntoyourchildren,howmuchmoreshallyourFatherwhoisin P heavengivegoodthingstothemthataskhim?"(11)p     1.0  God'swisdomingivingishereemphasizedratherthanhis 8 willingness:OmniscientGod"knowshow"togivegoodgiftsto  hischildrenmuchmorethanhumanfathers,"beingevil."p     2.0  Godismuchmoreknowingthanearthlyparents(Romans11:33 8 36);muchmorekind(Psalm27:10;1John4:8);andmuchmore X  wealthyinhisabilitytobless(James1:17;Ephesians3:20;2  ! Timothy1:12;Hebrews2:18;7:25)."     3.0  ItisinterestingtolearntheBible'steachingconcerningthe X# kinshipbetweenGodandman(Romans8:1617);1John3:13), x $ aswellasthecontrastsbetweenthem(Isaiah55:8,9;59:1,2).@%     4.0  _McGarvey_Ԁcorrectlypointsoutthedangerinthefallacious  & reasoningofsomeinconcludingthat,becauseGod'sfeelingfor  x' hischildrenislikeoursintheoneparticularJesusherementions, !@( that,therefore,becausethepaternalfeelinginmanwould `" ) preventhimfrompunishinghisownchildrenwitheternal X punishment,God'spaternalfeelingforhischildrendisprovesthe   realityoftheeternalpunishmentwhichGodhimselfthreatens.  "Thefallacyoftheargumentconsistsinassumingthatthe X feelinginquestionmustworkthesameresultsineveryparticular x  inGodthatitdoesinman.Butrevelationteachesthatsuchis @ notthecase.""_J.W._Ԁ_McGarvey_,CommentaryonMatthew  Mark,p.71.x     5.0  "Luke11:13,intheparallelpassage,says,insteadof'good @ things,''theHolySpirit,'asthoughthisisheaven'sgreatest `   blessing.""_B.W._ԀJohnson,People'sN.T.WithNotes,I,p.47.(   CONCLUSION"  `  ___I._0  ItisamistaketothinkGodcannotanswerprayerwithoutworkinga H  miracle.Godisabletoprovideforhischildren(Matthew6:2633),and   hedoesgranttheirrequests,butitisaccordingtohislaws"spiritualand   natural.H  ___II._0  "Knocking"isamustforourprayerstobeanswered:To"knock"means 0 (1)asking,(2)pluseffort,(3)pluspersistenceinseeking,accordingto  Jesus,intheparableofthefriendatmidnight(Luke11:513).h ____0  X III.Becauseourrequestsaresometimesamiss,unwise,lackinginfervency, P andbecausethenatureofsomerequestsmeansanecessarydelay,itis  essentialthatwepersistinprayer.   A.0  "Innothingbeanxious;butineverythingbyprayer...."(Philippians P 4:6,7).p   B.0  "Praywithoutceasing"(1Thessalonians5:17;cf.Ephesians 8 6:18,19). ~~"CharlesE.Crouch p #8y&-K)x#