Jeremiah 29:13 – Seek, Require and Search

Whilst doing my devotional and editing the Lion Bite yesterday morning, I came across two scriptures Jeremiah 29:13 and Matthew 7:7-8.

Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP)

⁷ “^[c]Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. 

⁸ For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 (AMP)

Footnotes

[a] Matthew 7:7 Here the use of Greek present imperatives (asking, seeking, knocking; vv 7, 8) emphasizes persistent, constant prayer.

The latter scripture is the one that I came across first, and the word KEEP was the one that stood out to me the most.

The footnote hammers in something that I had never noticed before. I speak for myself, but I know that I am not the only woman of God, in the whole of this wide world, that has half-heartedly said a prayer and wondered when or if a prayer was to be answered.

I know this book has been written to assist us in manoeuvring through life, and we are up against so much, but the Holy Spirit was saying to me yesterday that I have to KEEP ON SEEKING, KEEP ON KNOCKING and KEEP ON ASKING. It will be given to me. The Holy Bible tells us that we are to receive God’s Kingdom as a child.

A child believes what you tell them. They continually place their request with you and expect an answer. Oftentimes they will throw a tantrum, which is not the route I would take or suggest, but we need to be persistent and not give up and we are to trust that He will give us what we are requesting.

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

² He called a little child and set him before them, 

³ and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children[trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

⁴ Therefore, whoever ^[a]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

⁵ Whoever receives and welcomes one ^[b]child like this in My name receives Me; 

⁶ but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:1-6 (AMP)

Footnotes

[a] Matthew 18:4 i.e. turns his back on self-righteous pride and adopts a realistic self-view.

[b] Matthew 18:5 i.e. new, childlike believer.

Reading Matthew 18, it goes into deeper depth. We are also to REPENT. The Amplified Bible explains repenting as turning away from our inner self and changing our lives. This is to change our way of thinking and processing things in a different way. Allowing the Lord to take control in how we perceive things and respond. It is only then that our prayers and petitions will be effective and we will request things that are realistic.

To put this into context, if you were a married woman, and came across someone who was attractive, if you were in alignment with God’s plans and purpose for your life, you wouldn’t place it before God for something to develop. (As I write, that’s what came to me! I couldn’t think of another example!)

Your prayers would become realistic, in line with scripture; which is God’s plan for your life. You, being a married woman, also being attracted to someone, is not something that you should or would place before the Lord in the hope that something would develop!

The first scripture I stated, in Jeremiah, says we will find Him! If we search for and realise WHAT YHWH/YAH/Jehovah requires of and from us, we WILL find Him. If we find Him He WILL answer our prayers. We just need to persist.

Parable of Persistence

⁹ “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

¹⁰ For everyone who ^[h]keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened. 

¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 

¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 

¹³ If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

Luke 11:9-13 (AMP)

Footnotes

[a] Luke 11:10 Here the use of Greek present imperatives (asking, seeking, knocking; vv 9, 10) emphasizes persistent, constant prayer.

What we also need to realise is, that depending on the request, other things need to be aligned for our request to fall into alignment. We need to be ready to receive. As an example, when at work I prayed for a promotion. A Manager became pregnant, I was promoted as an Acting Manager, to carry out her role in her absence, Then, she did not return. I then became a Manager rather than Acting Manager. Everything has a time, season and moment for alignment, so prepare yourself for the answer to your prayer and make sure you are ready!