"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." -Luke 11:9 NIV

Andrew was an early adopter of the ask, seek, and knock principle. As far as we know, Andrew was the first of the twelve disciples to ask Jesus for anything.

It started the moment they met, which happened to be right after John the Baptist pointed Jesus out. Andrew was a disciple of John's, so when the guy who'd been preparing the way for the Lamb of God shouted, "Behold, the Lamb of God" (john 1:29), Andrew didn't waste any time. He and another of John the Baptist's disciples took off after Jesus.

"What do you want?" Jesus asked.

They answered with a question: "Where are you staying?" (v. 38 NIV)

Jesus rewarded their boldness with an invitation to spend the day with Him, so they followed Him to His place--where Jesus opened the door. In other words, one proverbial knock led to one actual conversation, and they knew they'd found the Messiah.

Andrew ran and told his brother Simon. And when Jesus called Simon on a beach, Simon and Andrew dropped everything and ran to follow Him. It was a whirlwind, fame-changer of a day that all started with the simple question: What do you want?

They wanted Jesus.

When the ministry was in full swing, a disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray the way John the Baptist taught his disciples (Luke 11:1). It's not a stretch to assume it was Andrew, the former John the Baptist follower who wasn't shy about asking Jesus for stuff. Jesus again obliged and taught them the Lord's Prayer, then continued with a story about an audacious asker--a guy who knocked on a friend's door at midnight wanting three loaves of bread. The friend was in bed and the house was locked, but he got up anyway--not because his friend was asking, Jesus explained, but because of the guy's crazy midnight-asking boldness. Jesus punctuated the story with the famous exhortation: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (v.9 NIV).

Jesus and Andrew's initial exchange is a sweet and simple proof of the "seek and find" promise. Andrew was bold. He wanted answers, so he asked. He sought after the Messiah, and Jesus opened His door to him and gave him the Bread of Life.

Jesus asks us the exact same question: What do you want?

You never know, the answer could incite a whirlwind game-changer of a day.



PRAYER FOCUS

Be bold. Ask God for wisdom and growth and life change, then ask Him for clarity in areas of life you're confused about.


MOVING FORWARD

  • Describe a time you felt bold in approaching Jesus. What did you ask for?
  • How did he answer you?
  • How would you answer Jesus' question: What do you want?

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