KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AT MIDNIGHT

Have you ever wished that you could watch Jesus pray? Better yet, wouldn’t you like to get the results that Jesus got? The disciples must have had those same questions, for in Luke 11:1 they made an important request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” From this request we received one of the most well-known passages of scripture, “The Lord’s Prayer.”

God’s Kingdom is not of this world, and He has called us to live right out of Heaven. God’s will in Heaven is what He desires for our lives, and the purpose of prayer is so that we can walk in God’s perfect will, for the perfect will of God is His best for our lives. As 2025 is rapidly coming to an end and we stand upon the precipice of 2026, God has new doors He wants us to walk through. As we enter a new year, things will begin to shift and change, for if we wish to go higher, we must enter new doors. God has called us do more, and following His will is not always convenient. Most of us get so used to following the flesh that stepping out into the things of God feels strange, but that is what faith is all about. Faith gets us out of the normal, out of our comfort zone, and into the things of the Spirit.

Immediately after teaching the disciples about prayer, Jesus told the story of two friends. The one friend received an unexpected guest but had no food to share with him. Even though it was midnight, he went to his neighbor to ask for bread. The neighbor, not wanting to disturb his family and rise from his bed, declined; however, he eventually granted his friend’s request. Why? “Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:5-10)

Importunity is another word for boldness. Boldness says, “I’m not going away until you give me my request.” We need boldness in prayer, and it is the blood of Jesus and the Word of God that brings us that boldness to keep asking. Many times, to fulfill the plan of God, there are things we need to keep asking for. There are keys to following God’s plan. His plan is out in front of us, but it is our part to knock, ask, and seek. Luke 11:11-13 goes on to assure us that our heavenly Father loves us. Even an earthly father will not give a stone instead of bread, a serpent instead of a fish, or a scorpion in place of an egg. “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13) Not only do we need to seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit, but we must also go on to seek God’s will and plan for our lives. We must get involved. We must be faithful. We must seek and knock and keep on knocking for there are doors and opportunities we will never enter unless we seek, ask, and knock.

As we come to the completion of 2025, are you seeking? Are you boldly following after God’s plan? With asking sometimes we face resistance, but we must be persistent and faithful. God will do great things for us and in us, but we must ask boldly. We must ask and keep asking. We must knock and keep knocking. We must seek until we find. We must never give up, for perhaps at the midnight hour, at the darkest hour of the night, the door will open, and we will step into God’s perfect will.