7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)
Ask, seek, and knock
Our Savior, in the previous chapter, spoke of prayer as a commanded duty that honors God and, when done sincerely, will be rewarded. Here, He presents prayer as the means by which we receive what we need, especially grace to obey His teachings, even when they are difficult for our human nature.
Jesus gives us a simple but powerful command: Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew 7:7)—in other words, pray. Pray often, with sincerity and seriousness. Keep praying and make it a priority. Ask, as a beggar asks for help. If we desire to grow in grace, we must humbly rely on God, trusting that He will provide. Seek, like someone searching for a lost treasure or a merchant looking for valuable pearls. Knock, like a person seeking entrance into a house, persistently asking to be let in. Prayer is the way we approach God, seeking His love, favor, and kingdom. Sin has closed the door between us and God, but through prayer, we knock, saying, “Lord, open to us.” Just as Christ knocks at the door of our hearts (Revelation 3:20), He invites us to knock at His.
- We must not only ask but seek. Prayer must be accompanied by action. God gives wisdom to those who search the Scriptures and strength to those who avoid sin.
- We must not only ask but knock. True prayer requires persistence. We must not give up when we don’t see immediate results. Instead, we must continue in prayer, believing that God hears us.
Jesus assures us that our labor in prayer will not be in vain. God is a prayer-answering God. The command to ask, seek, and knock is followed by a powerful promise: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). Whatever we ask, in accordance with God’s will, He will give. If something is worth having, it is worth asking for. Those who seek God will find Him, and those who knock will find the door of grace open to them. If the answer is delayed, we must keep knocking, trusting that God’s timing is perfect.
This promise extends to everyone who prays sincerely—Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, educated or uneducated. God shows no favoritism. Jesus speaks in the present tense: Everyone who asks receives; everyone who seeks finds; to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:8). His promises are so certain that believers can consider them already fulfilled. What we hope for is as secure as what we already possess.
To illustrate God’s generosity, Jesus compares Him to earthly parents. If a child asks for bread, would a father give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, would he give him a snake? (Matthew 7:9-10). Even sinful human parents instinctively care for their children. How much more will our perfect, loving Father give us what is truly good?
This truth should guide both our prayers and our expectations:
- We must come to God as children to a loving Father, with trust and confidence. Just as a child instinctively calls out to a parent in distress, we should turn to God in our needs.
- We must ask for what is truly good. God, in His wisdom, does not give us things that would harm us. If a child asks for something dangerous, a good father will wisely deny the request. Likewise, God may withhold things from us for our own good. A refusal from God in love is better than receiving something that would harm us.
- We can pray with confidence, knowing that God hears us. The world often disappoints, but God never does. He will never give us a stone instead of bread or a serpent instead of a fish. Even when we don’t understand His answers, we can trust that His love and wisdom exceed our understanding.
God’s love far surpasses human love. Even the most caring parents have their flaws, but God is infinitely wise, kind, and generous. He is always ready to give good gifts to His children. If we, with all our imperfections, care for our own children, how much more will our perfect Father in heaven care for us?
This truth should silence all doubt and unbelief. God is more than able and more than willing to meet our needs. So let us ask, seek, and knock—persistently and with faith—knowing that our Father in heaven will answer.