VERSE OF THE DAY.Matthew 7:7-8 (New Living Translation).Share Audio.“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.I know it seems like you’re not being heard or listened to but I say keep Asking and you shall receive what it is you asked. Open your eyes and seek what you are seeking and you will find Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will shall be opened for all though you aren’t being heard you are always being listened to and answered in God’s time as you are in his best interest.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.Matthew 7:7–8 are the seventh and eighth verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. These verses begin an important metaphor generally believed to be about prayer. Wikipedia.What Jesus Did! ‘Keep Praying!’ — Matthew 7:7-8.Wednesday, March 24, 2021.[Jesus continued:] “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”.— Matthew 7:7-8 NLT.◄ What Does Matthew 7:7 Mean? ►.”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.Matthew 7:7(NASB).Verse Thoughts.Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is an extended teaching that covers numerous distinct yet interconnected topics of Christian life and godly living. Not only are we to explore the inner motive of our heart with regard to our personal words and actions, but we are to consider our conduct towards others and appraise our attitude towards our neighbour.One important topic that threads its way throughout Christ’s life and teaching is the matter of prayer. Early in His sermon, Jesus called His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who mistreat or persecute them. This was a revolutionary teaching to the Jews of Christ’s day. The Jewish leaders taught them to love their fellow man and hate their enemy – but Christ taught them to love their enemies as well as their neighbours, and to lift them up to their Heavenly Father in prayer.Jesus also warned against sanctimonious and self-righteous praying that was practised by the religious leaders of the day. They turned their prayers into a prideful exhibition of self-proclaimed righteousness, instead of humbly seeking the Lord with all their heart. He warned His followers that such ostentatious behaviour was not only hypocritical and dishonouring to the Lord, but that such prayers would not be heard by God.Jesus wanted His followers to understand that prayer is a cry to the Father-heart of God from His dependent children, and told us, “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father Who is in secret, and your Father Who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” He even gave His disciples a model prayer – often called ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ or ‘The Disciple’s Prayer’ as an aid in establishing the sound principles and practice of prayer.And in this verse, Jesus expands His lessons on prayer and how to pray aright. He tells us, “Ask (and keep on asking) and it will be given to you; seek (and keep searching with the promise that) you will find; knock, (and keep on knocking) and the door will be opened to you.”.We are to ask our Heavenly Father for the things we need and we are to keep on asking. We are to present our simple petitions to the One that has promised to provide for all our needs and comfort all our heartaches.We are to ask and keep on asking, with full assurance that He hears our cries and answers the prayer that is offered in faith and in line with His will. We have been given access into the throne room of grace for mercy to find help in time of need. We are to keep in close communication with our Lord – and enjoy sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father.We are to seek the Lord and to keep on seeking Him, for by Him and through Him we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. We are to apply ourselves to diligently and earnestly seek the truth of the glorious gospel of God, as we search out all the jewels concealed in the Scripture and discover the little surprises that are hidden in the Word of God. The more we seek the Lord, the more our faith will be established in Him.Our seeking is designed by God to enable us to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus. We are to seek and we are to keep on seeking, for the one who searches out the deep truths of God will not be disappointed, but greatly rewarded. In Proverbs 25, we are told that it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, BUT the glory of kings is to search out a matter – and we are called by His name to be kings and priests, and to be His ministers of reconciliation to display His glory to a lost world.We are to knock and keep on knocking. We are to knock with patient endurance and steadfast perseverance. We are to knock with confidence and humility even when life’s circumstances seem to test our faith and sap our strength. We are to knock and keep on knocking even when the prowling enemy of our soul tries to cause our hearts to faint. And even when God’s presence seems very far removed from us, we are to knock and knock and keep on knocking, for the testing of our faith develops perseverance, and such endurance must finish its work within so that we become mature and complete, lacking nothing as we tightly cling to His all-sufficient grace.God has promised to answer all the prayers of those who diligently seek Him, but too often our prayers are selfish or soulless. Too often our calls and half-hearted, lack passion, or simply become a formula to be followed. Prayer, however, is the greatest weapon that God has given to His children, and we have been instructed to pray without ceasing – and having done all to PRAY.Let us be persistent in our prayer life and impassioned in our praying. Let us ask in faith, seek diligently, and knock frequently, knowing that He is a God that hears and answers prayer. And let us use the privilege of prayer wisely, reverently, discreetly, and for His greater praise and glory.Let us ASK and keep asking for He has promised to give us all we need for life and godliness. Let us SEEK and keep searching, for He has promised all who seek Him, will find Him when we shall search for Him with all our heart. And let us KNOCK and keep on knocking, for He has promised that the door will be opened. Praise His holy name.My Prayer.Loving Father, thank You for breaking down the barrier between God and man and permitting me to come into Your holy presence in prayer, for mercy to find help in time of need. Help me to pray and keep on praying in spirit and in truth. Help me to pray purposefully and persistently, and in accordance with Your will… and may I learn to ask in faith, to seek You with all my heart, and to knock with patient endurance so that I may live according to Your will. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.Source: https://dailyverse. knowing-jesus. com/matthew-7-7.Key Thought.Ask, seek, knock. These actions sound so harmless and so easy. But behind these words is the intent of Jesus: Be persistent! Keep asking! Continue seeking! Don’t quit knocking! This is not a cookbook recipe, but the target attitude we should have in our prayers and our lives. We must be persistent and faithful. But rather than making that persistence our key to acquiring and achieving for ourselves, let’s remember Jesus’ example in the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13: The focus is on God’s will — his Kingdom and his glory, and our most basic needs — daily bread, and on overcoming sin through forgiveness and deliverance. Jesus was reminding us that if we pursued these things, we will receive them. In addition, we will also be changed for good in the process!Today’s Prayer.Holy and righteous Father, thank you so much for the many prayers you have answered. Thank you, dear Father, for answering my prayers to be more like Jesus. I confess I am still so very far from his perfection, but when I look at the distance you have brought me in the past, I can view the future only with excitement knowing that you will lead me on to become more like him in the future. In Jesus’ name, I thank you and ask for your continued grace. Amen.Related Scripture Readings.* James 1:5-8.* John 14:12-13.* Luke 18:1-8.What Does Matthew 7:8 Mean? ►.”For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.Matthew 7:8(NASB).Verse Thoughts.The Sermon on the Mount outlines the character and conduct that Christ expects from all subjects in His kingdom. It covers two long chapters and needs to be understood as an integrated whole, rather than a series of disconnected teachings – and this detailed dialogue should NOT be taken out of context.Christ’s Sermon is not a presentation of the gospel, nor does it explain the plan of salvation to unbelievers. It is a series of principles and practices given to His disciples which are designed to govern the behaviour of every subject in His kingdom. The conduct He calls for can only be achievable by drawing on the supernatural power of the indwelling Spirit of God in a life that is saved by grace through faith… a consecrated heart that is dedicated to serving our blessed Redeemer in spirit and in truth.Two verses that are frequently taken out of context are in chapter 7, where we read “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you – for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”.It is often taught by compromised Christians, false teachers, and prosperity preachers, that if we shout loud enough, pray long enough, and demand forcefully enough, God has to give us whatever we demand or He is being dishonest! This is an unscriptural practice called ‘positive confession’.The simple beauty of the truth in these verses has been twisted by unscrupulous people to imply that God is at our beck and call and must give us everything we want. Prosperity teachings have sprung up and unscriptural denominations have been formed to push this ‘new age’ practice of ‘positive declaration’ in ‘The Word of Faith movement’.However, prosperity teachers detach their teachings from every other biblical instruction on the normal Christian life in general, and the conditions for answered prayer in particular. The Bible teaches that a man must pray in faith, and without any doubt, unforgiveness, or sin in his heart. We are reminded in Psalms, if God regards iniquity in a heart, He will neither heed nor hear a man’s prayer.Other conditions for answered prayer is that requests should not be selfishly motivated, but must be in line with the will of God. Hebrews outlines another principle of answered prayer, which is a far cry from the ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ teaching of the Word-of-Faith movement and prosperity teachings, “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”.When all the biblical criteria for prayer are met, God will most certainly answer prayer and in these precious verses, the Lord lays out the principles in His model prayer. We are to address our Father in heaven and honour His holy name. We are to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be carried out on earth as it is in heaven. We are to pray for our daily food and to ask forgiveness for any sin… and we are also to be prepared to forgive others, knowing how much our Saviour has forgiven us.When we carry out His will and seek first His kingdom and righteousness, He will hear our prayer, because we will be praying into His will. When we honour our heavenly Father and proclaim His sovereign authority, His power, and His glory, we have an assurance that He is a God Who hears and answers prayer.Although the entire Sermon on the Mount is distinctly Jewish and was originally given to a remnant of Jews who trusted Christ for their salvation, the principles apply to all people who already are… or will become part of His kingdom on earth. Christ’s code of behaviour in His Sermon on the Mount was relevant to His earthly followers, both before and after the Cross. It has relevance to those of us who have already crowned Him as king of our heart in this age of grace. It contains standards to which Tribulation saints will need to adhere and it will also be relevant for those in the coming Millennial kingdom.The impossibly high standards of the Sermon on the Mount and the call to prayer, are designed to teach us that the principles and practice in Christ’s teaching can never be achieved in our own strength and power. They can only be realised supernaturally, as we allow the Holy Spirit of God to work His work in our lives.The more earnestly we ask, seek, and knock on heaven’s door, the more we will be given the supernatural strength to fulfil His Word and remain in the centre of His will.My Prayer.Heavenly Father, thank You for laying out so clearly the principles and practices that should govern our lives as we die to self and live for God. Thank You that my salvation does not rely on what I have done but on what Christ has done on my account. Lord, at times I have tried to do things in my own strength, only to fail. Help me to live aright and pray according to Your Word and will. Give me an understanding heart and the desire to live and work and pray in a manner that honours Your holy name. I praise and thank You that You are my sole Provider.Source: https://dailyverse. knowing-jesus. com/matthew-7-8.What does Matthew 7:8 mean?In the previous verse, Jesus commanded His listeners to ask, seek, and to knock, with the promise that each action would be rewarded (Matthew 7:7). In the following verses, He makes it clear that He is talking about prayer: asking from the Father, seeking from the Father, symbolically knocking on the Father’s door. Some commentators suggest these words imply a progression. It’s possible that “asking” means making a request, “seeking” implies persistence or fervor, and “knocking” represents continued and ongoing persistence.In this verse, Jesus doubles down on the promise. Everyone who asks of God receives an answer. Everyone who seeks Him finds Him. The door is opened to everyone who knocks. By including everyone, Jesus shows that God’s responsiveness to prayer is not based on the goodness of the one who prays, but on the goodness of God. We all know that among everyone, some are unworthy. God knows that among everyone, everyone is unworthy. Jesus shows that His Father does not only respond to the prayers of the super-religious, like the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). He is ready to respond to the sincere asking, seeking, and knocking of each of His people.That universal sense of God’s response is especially important when looking at the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). Elsewhere, the Bible explains that there’s enough evidence of God in each person’s life that they should be seeking God (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1). Those who want God will react to that evidence by searching for Him, and they will find Him.That also means the context of God responding to the prayers of “everyone” is ultimately grounded in the context of Jesus Himself. He is quoted by John as saying, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Some requests are reasonable only from those who can legitimately call God Father. They also presume the person is approaching the “ask, seek, and knock” concept in a truly godly way (Matthew 6:9–13).Context Summary.Matthew 7:7–14 describes God as a generous Father eager to give good gifts to His praying children. Jesus commands His followers to continually ask and seek, with confidence that they will receive and find. Christ summarizes the intent of God’s commands in the Old Testament: doing for others what we want done for us. This is commonly referred to as “the Golden Rule.” The way of Jesus begins by entering a narrow gate and continues down a hard path that leads to life. He commands His followers to take that path instead of the easy road that leads to destruction.Chapter Summary.Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus’ teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.QUESTION.What did Jesus mean when He said, “Ask and you shall receive”?ANSWER.Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” in John 16:24. Similar statements are found in Matthew 7:7; 21:22; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; and John 15:7. Is this a blanket promise with no conditions? If we ask for three hundred pounds of chocolate delivered to our door, is God obligated to give it to us? Or are Jesus’ words to be understood in light of other revelation?If we assume that “ask and you will receive” means “ask for anything you want and I’ll give it to you,” then we have turned the Lord into a cosmic genie who serves our every whim. This is the problem of prosperity gospel and word of faith teachings.In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that whoever asks receives, whoever seeks finds, and whoever knocks will find an open door (Matthew 7:7–8). But with this and all other verses we must examine the context. Jesus goes on to say that God will not fail to give His children good things (verse 11). So, this is one condition to the promise of “ask and receive”: what we ask for must be good in God’s estimation. God will give advantageous gifts to His children; He will not give us bad or injurious things, no matter how much we clamor for them. The best example of a good gift is the Holy Spirit, according to Luke 11:13. We begin to see a two-fold purpose of prayer—to increase our understanding of what God calls “good” and to cultivate a desire in us for what is good.Our prayers to God are not unlike our requests of men. Our prayers are based in a relationship, as Jesus points out in Matthew 7:8. If a child asks his father for something the father knows to be hurtful, the request is denied. The child may be frustrated and unhappy when he doesn’t get what he asked for, but he should trust his father. Conversely, when the child asks for something that the father knows is beneficial, the father will provide it eagerly because he loves his child.We have another condition to the promise of “ask and receive” in John 14:14, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Here, Jesus does not promise His disciples anything and everything they want; rather, He instructs them to ask “in my name.” To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray on the basis of Jesus’ authority, but it also involves praying according to the will of God, for the will of God is what Jesus always did (John 6:38). This truth is stated explicitly in 1 John 5:14, “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Our requests must be congruent with the will of God.The promise of “ask and receive,” even with its conditions, can never disappoint. There is no chance of things we need not being in God’s will. He promises to supply what we need when we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Of course, what we want is not always what we need. If what we want is not in God’s will, then we really don’t want to receive it. God knows what is good for us and is faithful and loving to say “no” to selfish and foolish prayers, no matter how much we want what we’re asking for.God will always give us good things. Our job is to understand what is good, so that we know what to ask for. The natural mind cannot understand this. But, when we offer ourselves as “a living sacrifice” and are transformed by the renewing of our minds, then we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1–2). Then, asking for what we need in faith, we will have all we need for life, godliness, and fullness of joy (John 16:24).The biblical instruction concerning prayer is that we pray for the good things that we truly need, according to the will of God, in the authority of Jesus Christ, persistently (see Luke 18:1), unselfishly (see James 4:3), and in faith (see James 1:6). In Matthew 21:22 Jesus again emphasizes faith: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Those who truly believe God will witness the amazing, infinite power of God. However, comparing Scripture with Scripture, we know that the asking must be done within the will of God. Part of having faith is acceding to God’s plan as best. If we ask for healing, and that is the best thing for us, we should not doubt that God will heal us. If He does not heal, then not being healed is a necessary part of a larger plan—one that is ultimately for our good.Consider Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse does not give us a way to manipulate God; nor does it mean that, if we obey, He will reward us with whatever treat we crave. Rather, it means that, when we delight ourselves in God, then we will find everything we want and need in Him. The key here is that the heart of the seeker is changed—when we delight in the Lord, God’s desires begin to become our own. When our desires match God’s, then our prayers are automatically aligned with His will.Among the most important prayers in the life of a Christian are “Teach me to love you above all else” and “Cause me to want what you want.” When we truly desire God, when we are passionate to see His will accomplished in this world, and when we ask for what brings Him glory, He is eager to give us anything we ask. Sometimes the things that glorify God are pleasant—a marriage or a child. Sometimes they are difficult for us—a failure that humbles us or a physical weakness that makes us more dependent upon God (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). But, when we pray within His will, in the authority of Jesus, persistently, unselfishly, and in faith, we will receive what we need.FOR FURTHER STUDY.The Quest Study Bible.More insights from your Bible study – Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!RELATED ARTICLES.What did Jesus mean when He said the first will be last and the last will be first?What does it mean when Jesus says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30)?What did Jesus mean when He said He would give us “whatever you ask in my name”?What did Jesus mean when He told us to ask, seek, and knock?What does the Bible say about a Christian serving in the military?Return to:.Questions about Matthew.What did Jesus mean when He said, “Ask and you shall receive”?
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