Why do I have to pray multiple times for the same thing? Am I just supposed to wait?

The Lord taught His disciples: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; everyone who seeks, finds; and to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Here lies the foundation of responsible prayer. It is not enough to pray just once; it must be done many times. This first filter helps us determine if our request is serious, well thought out, or just a passing emotion.

Let’s also note that, along with asking, we must seek. This action gets us out of our waiting seat, moving us to actively search for possibilities. We pray and act, attentive to God’s direction.

Once we have prayed and found a possible answer, we go to knock on the door. If, through prayer, we have discovered God’s door, it will open, completing the circle of the Lord’s perfect will for our lives.

We pray, seek, and knock: These are three action verbs. None of them promote negligence.