5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “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. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:5-13)
Jesus tells this parable of asking for bread at midnight after the Lord’s Prayer, continued to teach his disciples about prayer. The story is about a man who had nothing to offer his friend when he visited him at midnight. He went to another friend to borrow bread, but this friend, already in bed with his children, was unwilling to get up and give him the bread. However, the man persisted, and his friend gave him what he needed. Then Jesus said: “Everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Here, “asking and receiving” doesn’t mean receiving after asking once, but rather continue asking until one receives, continue seeking until one finds, and continue knocking until the door opens, it means praying earnestly. The thing ask for here is the Holy Spirit. God is very willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him, but as this parable illustrates, one must continue to ask until one receives. The parallel passage in Matthew says that God is willing to give good things to those who ask Him; “good things” here refers to the Holy Spirit. Similarly, when we pray to God for other things, if it is not out of selfish motives, we should also continue to ask until we receive them.
May God bless you and your family!
