7 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(3 Nephi 14:7-11)
This is quite possibly the single most frequently repeated promise in the scriptures. Consider, for example the following passages:
- “Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 4:7)
- “And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” (3 Nephi 18:20)
- “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” (1 John 3:22)
- “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)
- “Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee.” (Abraham 2:12)
Why does the Lord repeat this promise so often? Maybe we need to be reminded. Mortal life tends to erode our faith, particularly when we experience disappointment after disappointment. We need frequent reminders that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is eager to answer our prayers, and that we can pray to Him with full confidence that we will receive an answer.
Today, as I pray, I will remember that God has promised to answer me. I will pray in faith, knowing that my Heavenly Father will help me to find the things I seek.