Asking (Part 3)

Today we finish the passage from Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. He is discussing the well-known verses in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus invites his followers to Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. His view of the text is fresh and challenging. (See the previous two posts.)

And as long as we respect them before God, and are thoughtful and gracious, we can keep asking, in appropriate ways, keep seeking and keep knocking on the door of their lives. We should note that the ask-seek-knock teaching first applies to our approach to others, not to prayer to God. We respect and never forget that the latch of the heart is within. We are glad for that fact and would not override it. We can gently but persistently keep our hopeful expectation before them and at the same time before God. Asking is indeed the great law of the spiritual world through which things are accomplished in cooperation with God and yet in harmony with the freedom and worth of every individual.

What do you think? What speaks the most to you in the excerpt we have read these past three days? How is it different from our usual approach? Do you agree with Willard that the ask-seek-knock teaching applies first to our relationships with each other? Why might this be important? How might Willard's insight affect our approach to evangelism? To family and church relationships?

I am interested in your thoughts!