Be Dependent

Matthew 7:7-11

Reading Jesus Rightly

Like Matt 7:1 this is one of the most misused Bible verses

What some have thought: this is a blank check with God. Whatever you want, ask, and He’ll do it.

Matt 21:22 - whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive…

Jn 15:7 - ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you…

1 John 3:22 whatever you ask you will receive

Why this is a bad reading:

Matt 21:22 you will receive… if you have faith

Jn 15:7 if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask…

1 John 3:22 - we receive because we keep his commands

Taking the promise that God will answer prayer out of the context of praying in faith, and in the name of Jesus, and consistent with the word of God, gives a false hope.

Imagine if every request is granted.

Bruce Almighty - the chaos of saying Yes to every prayer…

I am grateful God has said “No” when I asked in foolish, selfish, and near sighted ways.

Misusing this passage leads to frustration so that we stop asking, doubting the power of prayer and God’s goodness and provision.

The purpose of the passage

The command to ask is in the context of pursing righteousness.

We are called to perfection, to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees.

Mt 5:48 Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus’ teaching on the law calls us to check our hearts… No hatred (21-26), no lust (27-30), no unfaithfulness (31-37), no vengeance (38-42), to love one another with the love of God.

To keep our eye off of self and the world and to set your heart on the heavenly prize.

This is an impossible calling on our own - and would be defeating - were it not for this passage.

The same Jesus who calls us to perfection also came to deliver those who are not perfect. He knows we cannot reach perfection, so he calls us to ask, seek, and knock for it.

This passage isn’t a call to bring our Christmas list to Jesus, it is a call to seek from God that which we need, the righteousness of God for our salvation.

The Posture of Righteousness

Ask, Seek, Knock

The posture of the righteous is one of recipient

Ask - a basic petition, in prayer

Being dependent upon God to provide what we need

Daily bread, forgiveness, leading out of temptation

Being dependent upon God for our righteousness

He will receive…

Rom 5:17 - We have received the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness

Phil 3;9 - We have a righteousness not of our own, but through faith in Christ

Seek - setting our attention on it, directing ourselves toward it

Seeking, looking for treasure - going deeper than asking, seeking means to set your desires upon something

Ps 34:14 turn from evil, seek peace and pursue it..

Seeking the application of righteousness in our lives

And you will find

Jer 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Knock - going after something that is inaccessible or closed off.

Luke 11, going to a friend at midnight asking for help, but the door is shut - persistence, diligence, even impudence

And it will be opened - revelation

A grammatical note

These are in the present imperative - an ongoing activity

Not “one and done,” but ongoing asking, seeking, knocking

Righteousness is a lifelong pursuit

Reordering your priorities

What are we pursuing? What have we been asking for?

James 4:2 You do not have because you do not ask -

Why are we lacking anything - we have not been asking

We are called to ask, seek, and knock at God’s door for the very righteousness He requires

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you

The Comfort of the Command

Be Dependent upon God

Learn to ask of him for all things

He will provide your daily bread, your forgiveness, your deliverance from temptation - are you asking?

He will provide healing, but it may be in ways you didn’t know you needed - healing your spirit, curing you of your idolatry, your worldliness, your selfishness - that, regardless of sickness or health you find your joy and your peace in Him.

You prayed to overcome your difficulties, but what if God’s answer is to teach you humility and dependence upon him?

Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are this who mourn, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

Seek first His righteousness

Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is preeminent over all things…Does Christ have preeminence in our asking? Are we seeking Him first?

Prayer doesn’t lead to idleness but greater activity

What is your goal in life - I want to be more like Christ.

If you pray for patience, seek to be patient

If you pray for forgiveness, seek to forgive and be forgiven

If you pray for righteousness, expect opportunities that will test and require you to respond in righteous ways

Be confident in the Father

God Gives What Is Good

If we, who in comparison to God are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does our heavenly Father know how to give good things.

Ps 107:9 He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Every gift from above - even sickness - is for His glory and our greatest good.

God gives what he has promised.

God has not promised to remove us from trouble, but to deliver us, and be with us through trouble.

Isa 43:2 He is with us in the fire, in the flood, in the valley of the shadow of death.

God has not promised happiness, but He has promised holiness. He has not promised worldly wealth, but He has promised an eternal inheritance of heaven’s blessings.

God Satisfies Godly Desires

Ps 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart