Prayer. How often do we go to God in prayer believing that we will receive what we ask for? Do we believe that He is able? Do we believe that He is willing? Are we sure we are asking in His will? Do we believe that He cares? So many times, people pour out their hearts to God hoping that He cares enough to answer their requests, but what does the Bible teach us on whether He will answer? Read today’s text in Matt 7:7-12.
Our text for today uses three words: ask, seek, and knock. The first word, ask, simply means to approach God in prayer. The second word, seek, takes things a step farther by adding action to the request. A person may pray and ask God for a job and then seek a job by checking out listings and leads. The third word, knock, adds persistence to the equation. This would be the following up portion of the process. God expects us to do all three when we seek His help. Jesus, in His teaching here, uses all three words and says that this person who does all three should expect God’s help. God wants to help us but does not expect us to be lazy.
Jesus then follows with a discussion of good gifts. A good father does not give his son a stone when he asks for bread nor does he give him a snake if he asks for a fish. If even an evil man knows how to give his son good gifts, how much more so will our Heavenly Father know how to treat us who ask Him? And then Jesus follows this with the Golden Rule. We are to also treat others the way we would like to be treated. And He then declares that this simple rule sums up all The Law and the prophets.
What does the Bible teach are reasons why God will answer our prayers?
- We must believe. Matt 21:22, Mark 11:24, John 14:13-14, John 15:7, 16, John 16:23-24
- We must do those things which please Him. 1 John 3:21-22
- We must ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15
What does the Bible teach are reasons why God might not answer our prayers?
- Because of our doubt. James 1:5-8
- We don’t ask. James 4:2
- We have wrong motives. James 4:3
We are promised in Proverbs 8:17 that God loves those who love Him and those who seek Him will find Him. This is not a maybe. If you are truly seeking God, you will find Him. He very much wants to be found. In Jer 29:12-13, we are exhorted to “seek me with all your heart”.
Read Romans 13:8-10. This passage follows the Golden Rule. It tells us that love is the fulfillment of The Law. If you study the Law at all, you will begin to understand that underlying The Law are concepts which protect the needs and rights of individuals and The Law helps to practice the principle of the Golden Rule. The Apostle Paul taught in Gal 5:14 that the entire Law was fulfilled in this, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”.
I believe Jesus was teaching us here that having our prayers answered and living the Golden Rule kind of go hand in hand together in a Christian’s life and this is all what The Law itself was based on. God’s ways and policies of loving one another are not new. Treat each other well. Believe in God’s goodness. Do likewise.
Responding to God: Praise God for His goodness and love. Show goodness and love to your neighbor. Trust in God’s goodness and provision. Pray to better understand God’s will.
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