I'm not sure how well I pondered this scripture but I definitely studied it everyday. Now, I need to confess that this is one of the principles I struggle with. It has been a source of struggle because it deals with Heavenly Father's will and there is just something that I am not quite sure what it is but I have some frustration with. I believe that it is probably this scripture that is the source of frustration.
I know that if I ask Heavenly Father for something and it is according to His will I will receive it. I understand that. Even though Heavenly Father's will is going to come to pass doesn't mean we shouldn't ask for things. I understand that I should ask for things and He wants me to ask for things. But I don't understand how people can ask for something and they receive it so quickly. For me I feel like when I ask for something it takes a while. Maybe God is trying to teach me patience and that is the reason why this whole principle frustrates me.If there is one thing I don't know it is this: I don't know Gods timing or why He doesn't answer some of our prayers in the time and manner we want. But what I do know is that He does answer us, God is a God who knows how to give good gifts because He is perfect and knows what is best for all His children.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Ask-means to pray to Heavenly Father and ask for blessings, talk to him and develop that relationship that is available to you. He is the most perfect being and he sees all things. How incredible it is to talk to a perfect being who knows all things and sees all things, what an advantage we have when we go to Him.
Seek-study it out, search for it, seek after it. Seeking is an action word and there is an effort on our part. What do you seek for? What are you seeking after?
Knock-In my mind I found knocking a combination of asking and seeking. I was reminded of how on a mission missionaries would knock on doors seeking to find individuals ready and seeking to hear the gospel. For missionaries they pray to Heavenly Father in the morning asking to find those who are prepared then they go out seeking for them by knocking doors.
One of the greatest lessons I learned on my mission was that when I was actively seeking and doing all that I could, working, God would bless us to find individuals. Most of the time we didn't find people by knocking doors but it showed to Heavenly Father that we were willing to do our part and He would bless us for that.
D&C 9:8
"You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."
Asking+Seeking=Knocking
Knocking requires us to ask in prayer and seek by studying and working it out in our minds. It is a process in which we come to Heavenly Father. I believe God wants us to depend on him but not become so dependent on him that we can't make our own decisions.
Even though I get frustrated with this principle at times I know God answers my prayers. There are times He answers quickly and sometimes those things I ask for are not answered until later on in life but He does answer. I know in the moments that God does not answer me right away is because He is trying to teach me something greater. Maybe there is something more for us to learn in those moments God does not answer our prayer?
