Matthew 7:7-12

DAY 52
Date: 5-18-25

Ask, Seek, Knock

* Everything with an asterisk and is italicized and purple is my own added words and thoughts and are not part of the actual verse or quote. 

Remind people that the prayer text group can’t be added to. If we want to add a new person to our group, we actually have to create a new group, which is not a problem. I just wanted you to all be aware so that, if we create a new group with a new person, you don’t accidentally use the old group, which would not have the new person included in it.

Pray

QUESTION: If you could ask something of God today – ANYTHING –  what you ask Him?

Read scripture: Matthew 7:7-12
(NIV 1984) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

BRIEF OVERVIEW of PASSAGE:

Q: What do you think vs 7 and 8 are saying? And – did you notice the repetition?

A: Vs 7 and 8 seem to be very simply saying, ask, and it is yours. Like the proverbial genie in a bottle. But is that what is really going on. Like we mentioned last week, context is so very important in understanding scripture, and, also like last week, this passage if often-times greatly misunderstood. There is much more to this passage than just a genie in a bottle. 

So – what is the context of this passage?

 There are actually two context’s we need to look at; first, the immediate context of vss and chapters, and then, second, the rest of the New Testament.

First, what do we see if we look at this verse in it’s immediate context?

In verses 9-10 Jesus immediately begins to the qualify verses 7 & 8 by saying, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

What is Jesus saying here?

Then in verse 11, Jesus continues qualifying vss 7-8 by saying “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will that your Father in Heaven will give good gifts to those who ask Him?” 

Q:  So, what are we seeing here in these verses?

A:  The first thing we see when we take the whole passage in context is that when God answers prayers, the answers are gifts. We can never that that for granted! 

If we prayed, and there were no God, there would be no answers! Ever! We would be on our own. 

The next thing we see is that, because God is good, He will indeed give us gifts, but not just any gifts. They will not be bad gifts or wrong gifts. He will give good gifts to those who ask Him. We see this in vss 9-10 when He compares bread to stone and fish to snakes. 

So, because God is good, and He gives good gifts, if you ask – whether knowingly or  unknowingly – for a bad gift, do you think He will give it to you?

Let’s go back to verse 7. What does it say you will receive? It says, “Ask and it will be given to you;” then in verse 8 it says, “For everyone who asks receives…”

Notice two things here. Vs 7 says “it,” but does not specifically define what the “it” is. Then in verse 8 we get a little more information. It says “everyone who asks receives.” 

You will receive an answer to your prayer, but, since God is good, Jesus does not guarantee that you will automatically get exactly what you want. You will receive, but you will only receive what is good. Just little little children that always want sweets to eat, we don’t always know what is good for us. But praise God that we have a Father in Heaven that always knows exactly what we need. Every time. 

The next hint about “how” God will answer our “asks” come from an overview of Matthew chapters 5 and 6. 

As we mentioned last week, chapter 5 is about God’s righteousness, and chapter 6 is about a right relationship with God. So, God’s gifts, or, His answer to our asking and seeking and knocking, will be both righteous and within the context of a right relationship with God. 

In other words, God will only give gifts that are good, that are righteous, and that are in accord with His Will and good pleasure (which are somewhat synonymous.)

So- how to you think that affects your interpretation of verses 7:7-8 so far?

Now let’s take a Quick Look at just a few vss from the rest of the NT that will back my assertion that God will only answer prayers according to His will and good pleasure. 

When we look at some these other passages on prayer in the NT, we will see that there is more to it than simply asking and getting, as if God were Santa Clause. We will realize that He loves us more than we know. 

If we look at John 14:13-14, we see another condition that God sets on on asking. The condition is that we ask in Jesus’ name. That means that when we pray, and when we make “asks” or “requests” of God, that we always need to according to Jesus’ will. It wouldn’t make sense for God to ever grant requests that are contrary to His Will. God NEVER does anything contrary to His Will. 

John 15:16 says the same thing, as does 1 John 5:14-15.

Do you remember back when we went over the Lord’s Prayer in chapter 6? Where it says, 
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jesus was then and there beginning His teaching that we should always pray according to God’s will. 

Know His will. Seek to do His will, to be obedient to His Will. This is the heart of the Christian life, and the key to unlocking untold blessing from God. 

THOUGHT (Rabbit Trail) #1:  There is no doubt we we receive many blessings from God in this life. Many. But have you ever wondered why we don’t receive more? If God is all powerful – and He is – (that was a rhetorical question!) then why don’t we receive more blessings than we do? Have you ever thought about that? 

Q:  Why is that?

A:  The reason is not that God can’t or doesn’t want to. The blockage is not on God’s end. The blockage is on our end. 

God does not ask a lot from us. And He NEVER asks us for anything that He is not willing to provide the ability to do. Ask He really asks of us is to walk in FAITH, and Obedience. That’s it. Everything flows from that. 

In John 6:28, some disciples asked Jesus “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

In verse 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29 (NIV 1984) 

If we would only believe, we would have everything we could ever hope for, and infinitely more. 

The words FAITH and BELIEVE in Greek are synonymous. 
pisteuō, means “to believe, put one’s faith in, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow;”
And the power that supplies the actions and creates the ability is the GIFT of the HOLY SPIRIT.

End of rabbit trail #1.

So, moving on, e have another condition spelled out for us in John 15:7, which says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

John 15:1-17 is all about remaining IN JESUS.

(See the Relevant Verses section on the web site for more related scriptures)

So, then, what is going on here in verses 7 & 8? I think the emphasis here in this passage is on persistence, patience, waiting on and trusting in God. Trusting in His ways and His timing, not in our own ways and timing. He always knows what is best for us. And He will do it, BECAUSE HE LOVES US!

Now, finally, let’s look at verse 12, which says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

This phrase, “for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” is found several times 

This simple, but powerful little verse not only sums up our passage today, but last week’s passage as well. It also, really, summarizes the whole teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

If you go back and look at those 6 sections in Matthew 5, from verses 21-48, looking at them thru the lens of Matthew 7:12, you will see them in a different way. Same with the teaching in chapter 6 on giving, prayer and fasting. 

The Golden Rule is truly Golden. 

If everyone liked according to this one simple rule, the world would – well, it would be heaven.

THE CHALLENGE
TRUST God. 
BELIEVE in Jesus. 
Walk in FAITH and OBEDIENCE. 

APPLICATION:
Be the S.A.L.T. of the earth. 
S. = Serve
A. = Appreciate
L. = Love
T. = Treasure
and
L. = Love
I. = Invest
G. = Grace
H. = Help
T. = Teach

Our book (Holman Commentary) says…
In a Nutshell
Matthew challenges his readers to choose between obeying the will of God and disobeying the will of God. For the believer, this involves humility, self-examination, and dependence on him for everything.

Our book (Holman Commentary) says…
MAIN IDEA: 
The righteousness of Jesus’ followers will be evident in their relationships and in their daily choices.

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Next Week:

The Narrow and Wide Gates

Matthew 7:13-14

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Notes:

* Everything with an asterisk and is italicized and purple is my own added words and thoughts and are not part of the actual verse or quote.