Luke 11:9
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
KJV
Κἀγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω, αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε· κρούετε, καὶ ἀνοιχθήσεται ὑμῖν.
Greek NT
Et ego dico vobis : Petite, et dabitur vobis ; quærite, et invenietis ; pulsate, et aperietur vobis.
Vulgate
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
ASV
And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.
Douay-Rheims
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In the original Greek
10 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.
αἰτέω
aiteo
verb · 70×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
εὑρίσκω
eurisko
verb · 175×
ζητέω
zeteo
verb · 117×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κρούω
krouo
verb · 9×
κἀγώ
kago
pronoun · 85×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
ἀνοίγω
anoigo
verb · 76×
ὑμεῖς
umeis
pronoun · 1828×
Themes
Historic Christian voices
7 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Catechism of the Catholic Church · 2 passages
§2613Three principal parables on prayer are transmitted to us by St. Luke: - the first, "the importunate friend,"75 invites us to urgent prayer: "Knock, and it will be opened to you." To the one who prays like this, the heavenly Father will "give whatever he needs," and above all the Holy Spirit who contains all gifts. - the second, "the importunate widow,"76 is centered on one of t…
§2761The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel."7 "Since the Lord . . . after handing over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer [the Lord's Prayer] is said first, as the foundation of further desires."8
48. When therefore he had retired and determined to fix a time, after which neither to go forth himself nor admit anybody, Martinian, a military officer, came and disturbed Antony. For he had a daughter afflicted with an evil spirit. But when he continued for a long while knocking at the door, and asking him to come out and pray to God for his child, Antony, not bearing to open…
Q. Why do Christians need to pray? A. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them.
Cross-references
- 1John 3:22 — And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
- 1John 3:22 — And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
- 1John 5:14 — And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
- 1John 5:15 — And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
- 2Cor 6:2 — (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
- 2Cor 12:8 — For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
- Acts 8:22 — Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
- Acts 9:11 — And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
- Acts 10:4 — And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
- Amos 5:4 — For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
- Dan 9:3 — And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
- Heb 4:16 — Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
- Heb 11:6 — But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
- Isa 45:19 — I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
- Isa 55:6 — Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
- Jas 1:5 — If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- Jas 1:5 — If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- Jas 4:2 — Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
- Jas 5:15 — And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
- Jer 29:12 — Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
- Jer 29:13 — And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
- Jer 33:3 — Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
- Jer 33:3 — Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
- John 1:45 — Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
- John 4:10 — Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
- John 14:13 — And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- John 14:13 — And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- John 15:7 — If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
- John 15:16 — Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he ma
- John 16:23 — And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
- Luke 13:24 — Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
- Mark 11:24 — Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
- Mark 11:24 — Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
- Mark 13:37 — And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
- Matt 6:29 — And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
- Matt 7:7 — Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Matt 7:7 — Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Matt 21:22 — And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
- Matt 21:31 — Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
- Prov 2:5 — Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.