I am so pumped to start a brand-new three-part series with you called "The Three Doors." We’re going to spend the next few weeks diving into one of the most famous promises Jesus ever gave us in Matthew 7. It’s a verse that’s so simple a child can memorize it, but so powerful it can change the trajectory of your life.
Today, we’re kicking things off with part one: The Ask.
Have you ever watched a toddler in the cereal aisle at the grocery store? They have absolutely zero chill. They aren't looking at the price tags. They aren't checking their parents' bank balance on an app. They aren't wondering if they "deserve" the sugary marshmallow puffs because they cleaned their room. They just see what they want, they know who holds the wallet, and they ask. They ask with total, unabashed confidence.
Today I want to encourage us to ask with confidence. To earnestly draw close to the Father and ask with the same confidence as a child in the grocery store.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
"For everyone who asks receives..." The “ask” of this verse isn't about our worthiness; it's about the confidence of the ask. Jesus is inviting us to move past "polite" prayer and move into "confident" faith.
We see this played out perfectly in the story of Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10. Bartimaeus was sitting by the road, living in darkness, just hoping for a handout. But then he heard Jesus was nearby. He didn't just "wish" things were better—he went on a mission to be heard.
The Bible says in Mark 10:47-48, "When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more..." I love that. The crowd tried to shush him, but his faith was too loud to be ignored. He wasn't just "asking" for a coin; he was seeking a total transformation with confident faith. When Jesus heard him, He stopped. He didn't just give a generic blessing; He looked at Bartimaeus and asked in verse 51: "'What do you want me to do for you?'" Jesus wanted a specific, confident ask. And because Bartimaeus wasn't afraid to be bold, Jesus told him, "Go... your faith has healed you."
This story points us straight to the heart of Jesus. He isn't a distant King who is too busy for your problems. He is the one who stops in His tracks when He hears the voice of faith. We don't have to be "quiet" or "stay in our place" like the crowd told Bartimaeus. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, the "No Entry" sign has been taken down. He is our access to the Father, and He is inviting you to ask with that same "shouting faith."
So, prayer warriors, as we head into our prayer time today, let’s pray with that bold, toddler-like confidence.
Take a moment and ask yourself: "What is the 'shout' I’ve been holding back? What is the specific request I’ve been too 'polite' to bring to God?" Give Him that specific ask today. Don’t just pray around it; pray into it.
Let's pray for our friends and family who feel like their voices don't matter. Pray that they would experience the "stopping power" of Jesus this week. Let’s ask for "Bartimaeus-sized" breakthroughs for those in our church who are facing impossible situations—that they would have the confidence to ask until the miracle happens.
Let’s go to the Father today knowing that He isn't just listening—He’s waiting for us to ask!