Matthew 7:7-8 is a well known passage where Jesus teaches his followers to keep asking, seeking and knocking in prayer. It carries an important lesson for Christians about persevering in prayer and trusting in God’s willingness to give us what we need.
The Passage
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Key Points
Here are some key things we can learn from Matthew 7:7-8:
Ask, Seek, Knock
Jesus gives three action steps for approaching God in prayer – ask, seek and knock. This shows we are to be persistent in bringing our requests to God. We don’t just ask once, but keep on asking. We diligently seek and keep knocking at the door until it is opened.
God Responds
Jesus follows up the actions of asking, seeking and knocking with assurances that God will respond – everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds and when we knock the door will be opened. We can have confidence that God hears our prayers and will give us good things when we pray.
Keep Praying
The passage encourages us to be continual and faithful in prayer. We are to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. We should persistently pray and not give up even when answers don’t seem to come quickly. God may have timing different than ours, but we should trust He hears and will respond.
God Gives What We Need
An important aspect of this passage is that it focuses on asking for what we need – not selfish desires. The example Jesus gives after this is a father giving his child food and not a stone. We can trust God to generously provide for our needs as we seek Him.
Applying it Today
For Christians today, Matthew 7:7-8 encourages us to:
- Bring all our needs and cares to God in prayer
- Persistently pray and not lose heart
- Trust that God hears and will answer in His timing
- Have confidence in God’s goodness to give what we truly need
- Keep seeking a deeper relationship with God
This passage gives us motivation to keep praying earnestly about anything we need, rather than giving up when answers don’t come quickly. It reminds us of God’s faithful love and that He wants to generously provide for His children. Applying this teaching will lead us into a deeper life of prayer and faith.
Examples of Praying Persistently
Here are some biblical examples of persistently praying and seeking God:
The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
Jesus told a parable about a widow who kept pleading for justice from an unjust judge until he finally responded. Jesus used this to illustrate we should keep praying and not lose heart.
The Blind Man at Jericho (Mark 10:46-52)
When Jesus passed by Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus kept crying out despite people telling him to be quiet. He persisted until Jesus stopped and healed him.
Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)
When facing the cross, Jesus fervently prayed three times in Gethsemane for God to take the cup of suffering from him. He persisted even when the answer was not what he hoped for.
Paul’s Thorn and Grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
Paul asked the Lord three times to take away his “thorn in the flesh.” God’s answer was that His grace was enough, showing prayer is not just about getting our desired outcome.
Conclusion
Matthew 7:7-8 contains a profound teaching from Jesus about approaching God in prayer with persistence and trust. It encourages continual prayer for our needs with confidence in God’s readiness and ability to respond. When we take this teaching to heart it will deepen our prayer life and faith walk with God. We will learn to pray with expectancy while submitting to God’s perfect will and timing. This passage provides rich insight into bringing our cares to our Heavenly Father.