"Strain every nerve to force your way in through the narrow gate," He answered; "for multitudes, I tell you, will endeavour to find a way in and will not succeed.

and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these.

Which of the two did as his father desired?" "The first," they said. "I solemnly tell you,' replied Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God in front of you.

Moreover, what I say to you I say to all--Be wakeful!"

But to you, the rest of you in Thyateira, all who do not hold this teaching and are not the people who have learnt the "deep things," as they call them (the deep things of Satan!)

Ask

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

and everything, whatever it be, that you ask for in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain."

That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it it shall be yours.

"If you had known God's free gift," replied Jesus, "and who it is that said to you, 'Give me some water,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

And whatever any of you ask in my name, I will do, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

"If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you.

You will put no questions to me then. "In most solemn truth I tell you that whatever you ask the Father for in my name He will give you.

As for this, three times have I besought the Lord to rid me of him;

Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need.

And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

And the prayer of faith will restore the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up to health; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven.

and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.

And we have an assured confidence that whenever we ask anything in accordance with His will, He listens to us.

Seek

"Strain every nerve to force your way in through the narrow gate," He answered; "for multitudes, I tell you, will endeavour to find a way in and will not succeed.

Then Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the Law wrote, as well as the Prophets--Jesus, the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth."

Looking steadily at him, and being much alarmed, he said, "What do you want, Sir?" "Your prayers and charities," he replied, "have gone up and have been recorded before God.

to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages;

But where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to find Him.

Knock

As soon as the Master of the house shall have risen and shut the door, and you have begun to stand outside and knock at the door and say, "'Sir, open the door for us' --"'I do not know you,' He answers; 'you are no friends of mine.'

For He says, "At a time of welcome I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have succoured you." Now is the time of loving welcome! Now is the day of salvation!

General references

and everything, whatever it be, that you ask for in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain."