Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” A powerful, intimate relationship with God is awesome! As you grow in your relationship with Him, your choices and decisions are blessed with all kinds of Jesus-information, Jesus-understanding, Jesus-wisdom, and Jesus-emotions. But, the greatest blessing comes your way when you CHOOSE to share all this with others. You get blessed when Jesus meets your needs; and, you get blessed when you decide to allow Jesus to use you to bless others. This flow of the wonderful things of God makes the Christian life the most exciting way to live. But, as you go around sharing, not everyone will want what you have to share.

KNOCKING is an important part of ASKING and SEEKING. The more Jesus blesses you, the more you want to tell someone about it. So, before you learn the principle of KNOCKING, you may run out into the world and start sharing it with anyone and everyone. Acts 9:22-23 (NIV) Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him. Paul, who was at that time being called Saul, was sharing with anyone and everyone. He later learned to KNOCK on the doors of opportunity so he would be at the right place, at the right time, doing and saying the right things, to the right people.

If you KNOCK, you will be at the right place, at the right time, doing and saying the right things, to the right people. KNOCKING opens doors of opportunity for you to FIND those people who WANT what you are offering. You don’t want to go around sharing and never get any results. Without KNOCKING, you will be using the trial-and-error process. YOU will be the one deciding who to share your breakthroughs with.

Mat 5:11-12 (NIV) Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Being at the right place, at the right time, doing and saying the right things, to the right people doesn’t mean you won’t get persecuted. KNOCKING won’t keep you from running into resistance. Acts 5:17-18 (NIV) Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. Persecution is a normal part of you KNOCKING and getting great opportunities to share; but, you must be willing to CHOOSE to do it.

Jews weren’t allowed to associate with people who weren’t Jews. These people were called Gentiles; Gentiles were all the people in the world who weren’t Jews. Prior to Jesus’ ministry, if you were a Jew and you went into the house and spent time with a Gentile, you sinned. Try to identify with Peter as Jesus prepared him to walk through a door that went against his previous training.

Acts 10:11-16 (NIV) He (Peter) saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. Jesus is preparing Peter for a door He is about to open that brought salvation and justification to ALL Gentiles.

KNOCKING can put you in places where it may NOT seem like you are at the right place, at the right time, doing and saying the right things, to the right people; but, you are. Three men asked Peter to allow them to take him to a house FULL of Gentiles; and, because of the vision Jesus gave Peter, he went where he had NEVER gone before. Acts 10:27-28 (NIV) Talking with him (Cornelius, a Roman centurion), Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.

When you submit your will-power to Jesus, you get very special results. Acts 10:44-47 (NIV) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out EVEN on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

Without you KNOCKING, you may find yourself making sure you are always protected from inconvience, trouble, pain, or persecution. But, these Gentiles’ eternal destinies were at stake. KNOCKING does make sure you are ABLE to direct your will-power to be where you need to be; and, it makes sure certain people’s hearts are prepared in advance so they can decide to accept your message and influence.

Gal 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. KNOCKING may bring such challenges to you that you may choose to stop KNOCKING. But, KNOCKING empowers you to choose in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Mat 7:12). It keeps your eyes on the fact that there are very few people who will tell these desperate, hurting, and needy people the truth. KNOCKING does as much to you as it does to those who are waiting for you. Jesus uses it to prepare you to start heading your will-power in the right direction as much as He prepares them to start heading their will-power in the right direction.