TEXT: MATT. 7:7
''Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:''
Faith puts man, not only upon asking, but waiting in expectation of a favorable answers to his asking; it prays, and expects God to bring the desired mercy to it: he is a senseless archer or bowman, who shoots at venture, having no target in mind---he but wastes his arrows on nothing.
Brothers, God takes that man not a serious person, who calls on Him, but expects no returns for his prayer. It betrays lack of confidence in God, to ask without of Him, yet expecting; knocking, without looking forward to the opening of the door; and seeking with no intention to find: all of these is implicit and tacit madness.
So, every supplicant that approaches the throne of grace for mercy in time or hour of needs, should do so with full confidence that mercy and grace shall be his. When the cloud is full, man expects it to empty itself upon the earth as rain: he who has sent the vapour of prayer up to the sky, should expect a shower of rain from heaven upon him and into his bosom. The beggar at the beautiful gate asks Peter and John for arms, 'expecting to receive something of them.'
Because of the certainty and verity of God's word, faith counts as already possessed, whatever is prayed for as long as it is the will of God to give. He already has, who has asked; for every asking has a corresponding receipt; all knockings are granted openings; and the seekers are deemed to have found.
Hence, in the mind and eye of heaven, he who has spent time on his knees for anything, is deemed to have received the same thing. When man is commanded to ask, God inclined to give. Faith is as that sheep in the twenty third psalms, which deems itself as in want of nothing; lying down in green pastures and walking besides a still water: faith's hand has what she requests for, whereupon she rests herself from all worries. Daniel, as soon as he called on God, the answer to his supplication was sent from God, to teach us that as soon as faith prays, heaven bow down for an answer. If this mind and reasoning be in a man, he shall not pray amiss and in vain. Oh man, if you expect not heaven's door to be opened unto you, do not dare knock at it; if you anticipate not that that which you are to ask shall be handed to you forthwith, dare not open your mouth to name it before God. It is sinful to pray with no expectation for a favourable response. Sin not by prayer,----praying and expecting no answer.