The statement “Ask and you shall receive” is found in Matthew 7:7-8, where Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” This encouraging promise reminds us that God hears and answers prayer. But what exactly did Jesus mean when He said “Ask and you shall receive”?
The Context of the Statement
The broader context of Matthew 7:7-8 helps us understand what Jesus meant. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was teaching His disciples about the kingdom of heaven and how to live as citizens of that kingdom (Matthew 5-7). After teaching about things like anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, love, prayer, fasting, money, worry, and judging others, Jesus summarizes by encouraging His followers to pursue God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else, trusting God to provide for their needs (Matthew 6:33). He then warns them to examine their own hearts before judging others (Matthew 7:1-5).
It’s in this context that Jesus tells His disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you.” His teaching deals with having the right priorities and perspective. Jesus was describing a heavenly Father who cares for His children and desires to meet their needs as they seek His kingdom. God is not stingy, holding back good gifts from His children. When they humbly depend on Him and align their priorities with His, He promises to provide for them.
Asking, Seeking, Knocking
In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus uses three action words when He says “Ask…seek…knock.” This indicates that prayer takes effort on our part. Asking is verbalizing our request to God. Seeking is searching diligently for God’s answer. Knocking is persevering in prayer, even when answers don’t seem to come right away. This teaches us to pray with passion, persistence, and patience.
Jesus says “everyone who asks receives.” This promise is broad and unconditional. However, other passages indicate God does not say “yes” to every request (James 4:3; 2 Corinthians 12:8-9). But as we ask according to God’s will, fully surrendered to Him, we can trust Him to respond with what is best. Although God may not give us exactly what we ask for, He promises to hear us and answer in His perfect timing and way.
God’s Good Gifts
Jesus compares God to a good earthly father who gives good gifts to his children, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). An evil, selfish earthly father still desires to give good gifts to his children. How much more will our perfect, loving, heavenly Father graciously give what is best to His children!
But what does Jesus mean by “good gifts”? Other parts of Scripture help us understand that God’s good gifts include wisdom (James 1:5), the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), and spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). God promises to supply our physical needs as well (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:19). But He is most concerned with our spiritual well-being and conformity to Christ. God’s good gifts always align with His perfect will.
According to God’s Will
Although God desires to bless His children and give good gifts, He only promises to grant requests that align with His perfect will. 1 John 5:14-15 clarifies, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Praying “according to His will” means submitting our desires to what God desires.
When we ask selfishly, James says, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:2-3). But when we ask while abiding in Christ, with our will conformed to God’s will, we can be confident He will grant our request. Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
With Faith and Without Doubting
In addition to praying according to God’s will, we must ask in faith, without doubting. James 1:6-7 warns, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” God wants us to boldly and confidently ask Him to meet our needs, trusting His power and goodness. Hebrews 11:6 declares, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Believing that God hears and answers prayer pleases Him.
At the same time, we must pray with humility, recognizing that God knows what is best for us. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). If we ask for something outside of God’s will, we should trust His wisdom and perfect timing in saying no or redirecting us. God promises to not give things that would harm us (Matthew 7:9-11). As we ask according to His will, in faith, God promises to hear and answer for our good and His glory.
In Jesus’ Name
We can only come to God and ask boldly because of Jesus. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” It is Christ’s sacrifice that allows us to approach God’s throne. Jesus urged His followers, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Praying in Jesus’ name means appealing to God on the basis of Christ’s merit and intercession, not our own. As we ask according to God’s will, in faith, in Jesus’ name, He promises to hear and answer.
With Right Motives
As we ask God to meet our needs, we must examine our motives. James 4:3 warns against asking from wrong motives, simply to satisfy our own pleasures. And when asking for something, we should make sure our motive is God’s glory, not merely our personal comfort or selfish desires. “In your prayers do not be like the hypocrites…they love to stand and pray in synagogues and street corners so that others may see them” (Matthew 6:5). We must approach God with humility, sincerity, and purity of motive.
Ask Boldly, But Wisely
As His beloved children, adopted into His family, God invites us to come boldly and confidently to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus said we can approach God as loving children coming to their Father: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). We serve a gracious God who finds joy in giving good gifts to His children.
At the same time, we are taught to pray with wisdom. Spurgeon said, “Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets so that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer brings inner strength to God’s warriors and sends them forth to spiritual battle with their muscles firm.” As we ask according to God’s will, in faith, fully surrendered to Him, He promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). May we persistently approach His throne with bold, believing, God-glorifying requests.