Jesus on Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Jesus on Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Matthew 7:7-12

Have you ever prayed for something and God said No? What is that all about? Can we trust a God who doesn’t give us what we want?

What did Jesus Say?

1. Jesus shifts from speaking about Judging and showing discernment back to a speech on Prayer. Prayer is important enough to earn another look in the Sermon on the Mount.
2. The first section on prayer (“The Lord’s Prayer”) focused on the condition of our heart in prayer and our relationship to God (father) and others (forgiveness). This section describes what such prayer LOOKS like (ask/seek/knock) and helps us see God as a loving provider.
3. Ask... Seek... Knock... What progression/pattern do you see in these three?
4. What is the reward Jesus promises for Asking? Seeking? Knocking?
5. The idea of knocking also implies that we sense resistance. After all, if the door were already open there would be no need to knock. Yet Jesus encouraged us, “Even when you sense that the door is closed and you must knock, then do so and continue to do so, and you will be answered.”
6. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says he stands at the door and knocks. He asks entrance, he notifies us of his willingness to enter our lives. He makes the first move.
7. Ask... How? Persistence, intensity, within the will of God (don’t say “in Jesus Name” unless this is a prayer you could truly write “From Jesus” at the end of.)
8. Why does God want us to ask with persistence? Ask with fervent intensity? Why does he require that? Isn’t it his will to do the thing? Is he reluctant and we must wear him down? Is he busy and forgets?
9. God values persistence and passion in prayer because they show that we share His heart. It shows that we care about the things He cares about. Persistent prayer does not overcome God’s stubborn reluctance; it gives glory to Him, expresses dependence upon Him, and aligns our heart more with His.
10. You WILL receive - you WILL find – it WILL be opened. God’s promise binds him. This is the same God who said “Do not murder”, and this statement binds God as surely as “Do Not Murder” binds man.
11. God will not change his nature and fail to answer your prayer!
12. ...Will you give him a stone... a snake? What a comforting knowledge of God! Of course he is not reluctant to provide; he LOVES to provide for us! How much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him!
13. Note: When we doubt that God answers our prayers we are really saying “I am evil, but I give gifts to my kids. God is worse than evil.” Call it straight: Blasphemy! God is LOVE, not neglect!

So what is the significance?

14. Obviously, God is not a Cosmic Vending Machine: drop in a dime-tithe and turn the prayer-crank a time or two and out pops whatever we ask for. Ridiculous!
15. Some limits:
1. “Your kingdom come, your will be done...” 6:10 it must be within His Will (that might not include prosperity and peace for you and yours!)
2. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3
3. “and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us.” 1 John 3:22-23
16. God is not obligated to answer our prayers the way we want. If we ask for a serpent, he will still give us a fish. When I ask that a loved one turn to Christ (a prayer I KNOW is in his will) and they don’t, my heart can identify with God’s just a little more, because his heart breaks for the lost too. When I ask that I could find my wedding ring, and I can’t, possibly God is telling me to care less about stuff.
17. Look at Job. He prayed for healing and restoration, but when he finally met God, he said “I spoke without knowledge” in effect, I’ll shut up now! When we KNOW God, we doubt him less and less.

Now what should we do?

I have a phrase with L, “Just take your vitamin N.” It works like this: she asks for some “serpent” type thing, and I say no. She asks more and more, and I finally tell her to “take your vitamin N”. Accept the no and move on. trust me, I am looking out for your best interest.  Sometimes, learning to accept God’s “no” can make us a healthier Christian. We need a steady stream of NO in our lives to keep an accurate view of God.

18. How does knowing God help us accept his negative answers?

19. What is Jesus’ advice on prayer?