Luke 11:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

NIV: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

NASB: So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

CSB: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

NLT: And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Jesus' disciples have asked Him to teach them to pray. He does so in a way that will provide for their needs when they go out and spread the message that the kingdom of God is near (Luke 9:1–6; 10:1–11). He then tells them a parable about how a friend will fill an inconvenient request if the request is persistent and annoying (Luke 11:1–8).

Now, Jesus explains that God is happy to give the disciples what they need. The man asked his friend for bread, he sought help to fulfill his responsibility to be hospitable to his guest, and he knocked on the door. If Jesus' followers do the same to God, He will graciously meet our needs. This does not mean that God will automatically give us anything we want, simply because we want it.

If we ask, God will provide; if we knock, God will open the door. If we seek, He will allow us to find what we need. Too often, people ask God for blessings but don't make the effort to look up and see them. Their minds may hold an extremely specific idea of what they need, but that idea may be counter to the better things God wants to give them. Or they may be so distraught and downcast they can't see any good at all. We need to have the attitude of Paul who sees God's blessings in feast and famine (Philippians 4:11–13).

Luke 11:9–13 is the last bit of the last story (Luke 11:1–13) of the first section (Luke 9:51—11:13) of what some refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem." The larger section is on the blessings and responsibilities of following Jesus. This last story is on prayer: here, on how God is good and will answer our prayers because He loves us. This is also found in Matthew 7:7–11, although Luke's account may be a later event.

Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and explains God's intent to give "good" to those who ask. He then exorcizes a demon and refutes the claim that His power is satanic. Jesus explains that unreasonable skeptics will only see the "sign of Jonah." He then criticizes the superficial legalism of the Pharisees. In response, they plot against Him.

In what some scholars refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27), Jesus prepares His disciples for His crucifixion and resurrection and the establishment of the church. The description begins with Christ teaching the disciples how to spread the news of the kingdom of God and reaffirming how they will be blessed, culminating in the Lord's Prayer (Luke 9:51—11:13). Luke 11 finishes with accounts of leaders who reject Jesus. The remainder of the travelogue gives a pattern of teaching on the kingdom of God, miracles, and explanations of salvation. Then Jesus enters Jerusalem to face the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.