This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:7-11. Never give up on prayer, until God tells you to stop praying for something. But he is willing to give his Son’s disciples good things.

The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:

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In this post, links are provided for further study.

Let’s begin.

I. Scripture

A. Matthew 7:7-11

⁷ Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, to the one knocking it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, whose son will ask for bread, will give him a stone? No one. ¹⁰ Or he asks for a fish, and he will give him a serpent? No one. ¹¹ If therefore you being evil know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask! (Matt. 7:7-11)

B. Comments

This post has a parallel passage in Luke’s Gospel: Luke 11:5-13

1.. Verse 7:

All these commands are in the present tense. So an expanded translation can read as follows: “Continually ask, and it shall be given to you. Continually seek, and you shall find. Continually knock on the door, and it shall be opened to you.” Further, each verb of answer is passive future. So many scholars call this the divine passive, meaning God is behind scenes giving, finding for you and opening the door (Turner).

Sometimes God answers prayers swiftly, and on other occasions and circumstances, it takes time. In the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8), she bothered the unjust judge so often that he gave in. So how much more will God answer swiftly, for he is not like the unjust judge. The finale of the parable: “Won’t God give justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Indeed, he is waiting patiently for them to do this! I tell you that he will give justice to them quickly!” (Luke 18:7-8). God is waiting patiently for his people to cry out to him day and night. “But will the Son of Man find faith on the earth?” (v. 8). In other words, will people cry out to him day and night, or will they give up and quit?

Consider Jeremiah 29:13-14: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, (Jer. 29:13-14, NIV)

2. Verse 8:

This verse is a great promise for those who ask, seek, and knock according to God’s will, because they are in right relationship with him. They are kingdom citizens.

Let’s go over to John’s writings and see his promises about prayer. In these next verses, the context is being connected to the vine. Then your asking will not be selfish, but centered on him:

¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:16-17, ESV).

In the next verses, we better ask for the purpose of joy:

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24, ESV)

In right relationship with the Father through the Son, our hearts will not condemn us, so now we can ask with confidence:

¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

James teaches us how to pray to God in our life with him:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask  wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3, ESV)

Prayer is all about relationship with our loving Father. He is not a Cosmic Butler or Vending Machine who is there to serve our whimsical desires or even our serious desires. We must talk with him daily. Yes, God will answer prayers when you ask with pure motives, so please ensure that your requests come from the heart of God first; then he will answer them gladly, according to his will.

3. Verse 9-10:

Jesus uses surprising imagery to get his point across. It is a form of hyperbole (pronounced hy-PER-boh-lee), for no earthly father really gives those things to his kids.

4. Verse 11:

The main point is revealed in v. 11. You, being evil or bad, know how to give good gifts to your children. Once again Jesus uses a startling image, which he often does in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere in his teaching. No father literally does those things, and the point is once again a “how much more” argument. How much more will your Father not do those things. How much more will your Father give you good things? Even though we have a sin nature, even we can understand the basics of goodness and appropriateness. God is so awesome and omniscient that he knows what you need and will graciously grant you. He is your loving Father.

I like this verse from Luke 12:32, which expands on the “good things” in v. 11 to include the entire kingdom: “Don’t fear, little flock, because your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

II. Application

A. Questions to ponder

1. In your prayer life, have you persevered (hung in there) and finally received an answer to prayer? Or have you quit? Do you have any long-term “prayer projects”?

2. How might the Golden Rule (v. 12) influence your life for the better?

SOURCES

To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom.

Matthew 7