The Power of Childlike Faith: Asking, Seeking, and Knocking Unapologetically

Childlike Faith

I’ve heard that term all my life –  but what does it really mean? What are the bare bones, what is the essence of having childlike faith?

And if you’re someone who struggles with overthinking and analyzing everything too much, how are you supposed to find childlike faith? When is the last time you’ve come across it in your life, in your circle?

I recently came across a YouTube video of a young lady sharing her testimony about how God had given her an apartment—how He moved her out of the projects and into luxury living. She was living with her sister, and it was not an ideal situation. She was stressed out, pregnant, and needed her own place, but she didn’t have a job, any money saved up, or a clear plan.

She began to pray and seek the Lord for months.

One day, while she was napping, her sister called and told her to get down to a particular apartment complex. Why that specific one? I don’t know, but her sister insisted, saying, “Go up there and let them know your situation. If you run into any problems, call me, and I’ll talk to them.”

When she arrived, she saw people holding papers, waiting patiently. They had been on the waiting list for that apartment. She learned that the place had a waiting list, and the woman at the desk told her plainly, “I’m sorry, but you have to be on the list to even be considered.”

She didn’t know about the list, and neither did her sister. Her sister didn’t have any connections or influence with the leasing office, but she called her sister anyway. After speaking with her sister on the phone, the woman repeated, “You still have to be on the waiting list to be considered.”

Then the manager pulled her aside and asked about her situation. She was visibly pregnant and explained that she didn’t have any money, a job, or an apartment. She needed a place to stay. The manager apologized and said, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. You have to be on the waiting list.”

I hate to breeze past this part because even I’m still fuzzy on the details, but somehow, some way she got that apartment. And she didn’t have to pay rent for the first eight months.

I pondered what happened there.

Obviously, she had faith. The Bible says faith as small as a mustard seed is enough. What stood out to me was the boldness and the perseverance she showed, even in the face of rejection. If you’re moving in faith, it feels strange—holding on to something God said in His Word while wrestling with doubt and overthinking.

She could’ve easily thought, “Well, you have to be on the waiting list, so this must not be for me. Maybe God has something else.” But she didn’t. When she prayed for months, she asked for that one thing. She sought that one thing. And she must have knew in her heart that this was her shot, her answered prayer.

She knocked on doors that were closed. She kept knocking until they opened—just like the Bible says:

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

The Bible also says, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” and “Faith without works is dead.”

She took action on the little she knew about God: that He is good and that He is a provider. She took those truths, held them in her heart, and acted on them.

To me, this is childlike faith—taking what you know and running with it. It’s being willing to face rejection and hear “no” over and over again.

Sadly, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become afraid of trying. I’ve become more of an “in-my-head Christian” instead of a “moving-forward Christian.”

Funny enough, when I first started this blog, I just went for it. I would post things on Instagram, and even when I faced backlash, I kept going. I didn’t know then what I know now, but I went for it anyway. Now, I catch myself thinking, “I don’t want to offend anyone,” or “I need to use wisdom.”

But childlike faith says, “God said it, so I’m going after it.” God honored that for her. Now, she’s in that apartment, furnishing it, cooking meals, living comfortably—all because she prayed for months for a place to stay.

She didn’t wait until she had the money, which is what I would’ve done. She didn’t wait for everything to line up perfectly. She took what she had—the Word of God and a call from her sister—and she began to seek. She began to knock. And the door opened.

Yes, the Bible says, “The violent take it by force.”

We often make excuses when things don’t work out. We settle for what’s comfortable. We hold on to what we know. But childlike faith keeps asking, keeps seeking, and keeps knocking.

Sometimes, we get stuck thinking, “Maybe I’m supposed to be here. Maybe this is meant for me.” But if that’s not what you prayed for, then keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. If it’s not for you, God will make that clear. And if it is, you will receive it.

We’re good at asking, but we forget about seeking and knocking. And what do you knock on? A door that’s closed. If you’ve been praying for something and all you see is a closed door, knock on it anyway. It will be opened.

Seeking means looking, researching, getting an understanding. It means pursuing the solution. As you do this, your faith grows. It waters that mustard seed and causes it to sprout because you’re acting on what God said, involving your heart, mind, and body.

When I get nervous or fearful, I think about that young lady’s story. I also think about my own experience with this van I’m living in now. When I purchased the van, I didn’t have any money saved up, no qualifications, no down payment. But I had a vision from God and a little bit of faith.

I went to a dealership and was rejected. But God showed me a vision of that dealership, even after they told me “no.” So, I called them back and explained my situation. I asked if I could do a payment plan. I got some help from my sister, and I kept asking, seeking, and knocking.

Now, I’m sitting in this fully paid-off van that’s mine.

This faith thing isn’t far off. It’s not about waiting for finances to align or for everything to fall into place. I’ve learned from missed opportunities that you take what you have and move forward because you have God.

You take what you know, you take the little faith you have, and you seek. You knock. And God will open doors.

That’s childlike faith to me.

Be blessed and encouraged.