God Answers Prayer Matthew 7:7-12

Introduction

As believers we have many great privileges, but one of the greatest privileges we have is the ability to pray and the amazing thing about God is he hears and answers our prayers. One commentator put it this way “Prayer is the great blessing that puts our impotence in touch with God’s omnipotence, our lack in touch with his supply, and our needs in touch with his riches” God has the power to answer our prayers, He owns everything, and Psalm 50 tells us that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. There is no need we have that is to great for our father.

As we look tonight at verses 7-12 we will see how we should pray and the Bibles golden rule.

How we should pray vs. 7-11

In James 4 the Bible tells us we have not because we ask not. McQuilkin asked these questions “Why are we so weak and impotent? Why have we watched in our lifetime as the number of lost people has increased geometrically? Are we not weak in impact for God because we are weak in time spent with God?”

I wonder how many things we miss out on as believers because we don’t ask the Lord for it? Here we find Jesus telling us how we should ask.

We should ask consistently vs. 7-8

Many times in our prayer life we ask for something once or twice and then we just give up.

Jesus here teaches his disciples to pray consistently

Notice he gives them three commands.

Ask

Matthew 21:22 “22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

John 16:23–24 “23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Seek

2 Chronicles 15:2 “2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.”

Knock

I believe God’s Word often commands us to do what we naturally will not do. It encourages and admonishes us where we are weak and where we struggle. Perhaps there is no spiritual discipline where this is truer than the discipline of prayer.

The asker receives, the seeker finds, the knocker finds an open door.

In verse 8 notice this promise is for everyone

One commentator wrote it this way “The promise encompasses everyone—not some, not most, not almost all. Everyone who calls God their Father receives this promise. Jesus, no doubt, understands our hesitancy to pray, especially when we are aware of our sin and unworthiness”

Jesus encourages his disciples to consistently ask, not because God is hard of hearing or forgetful, but rather because we are prone to give up.

I read a book entitled love does by Bob Goff and in his book he tells a story of him trying to get into law school.

To make a long story short he got rejected from law school so he goes to the professors office and sits outside the door every day and every time the professor walked in or out of the office, Bob would ask the professor to tell him to guy buy his books, meaning he had gotten into law school, this went on for a few weeks until the professor finally told him to go buy his books. He was consistent in his asking and he finally got an answer, if he would’ve given up he never would have made it in to law school.

I wonder how many of us have missed out on a answer from God because we gave up praying before he answered.

In the context of the sermon on the mount, Jesus is well aware that none of his disciples have the wisdom or strength to keep the commandments, so he links them with God’s Omnipotence.

When we ask we recognize our dependence on God

When we seek we desire to live the life Jesus called us to in this sermon

When we knock we open the door of heaven where God pours his blessing out on us.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “17 Pray without ceasing.”

We should ask expectantly vs. 9-11

In verse 9 and 10 Jesus uses the example of a father and child to explain God’s willingness to give us what we need.

What kind of father would mock his son who asks for bread by giving him a rock

Remember Satan tempted the Lord to turn stones into bread

Or what kind of father when his son asks for fish offers him a serphant?

Jesus didn’t use these examples to mock us, but in verse 11 he shows us the reason for the examples he used

Jesus brings it into perspective in verse 11

The Human Fathers

If you- the fathers

being evil - all men are evil and wicked in comparison to God

know how to give good gifts unto your children - They know when their child asks for bread, to give them bread and not a stone or when there child asks for fish, to give him fish and not a serphant to eat.

Our Heavenly father

How much more - immeasurable

shall your father in heaven - God the father

give good things to them that ask - All God gives is good, its for our good and his glory, all we have to do is ask

Spurgeon said it this way “Our heavenly Father will correct our prayer, and give us, not what we ignorantly seek, but what we really need. The promise to give what we ask is here explained, and set in its true light. This is a gracious correction of the folly which would read the Lord’s words in the most literal sense, and make us dream that every whim of ours had only to put on the dress of prayer in order to its realization. Our prayers go to heaven in a Revised Version. It would be a terrible thing if God always gave us all we asked for. Our heavenly Father himself “knows how to give” far better than we know how to ask.”

The Golden Rule Explained vs. 12

Remember when the bible uses the word therefore you should see what it is there for.

In this instance it is connecting verses 7-11 with verse 12

Here the golden rule flows out of Gods promises found in the previous verses.

Jesus doesn’t say if you don’t want to get robbed don’t rob people or if you don’t want people to hurt you don’t hurt people but says it like this “What ever you want men to do to you do to them”

If you want people to love you, don’t wait on them to love you, love them first. If you want people to respect you, respect them first. you should treat people how you want to be treated and expect nothing in return, Jesus is the greatest example of living out this principle. Jesus came to earth and loved people and expected nothing in return. That is the true essence of the Golden Rule

Spurgeon said it well “This is the sum of the Decalogue, the Pentateuch, and the whole sacred Word. Oh, that all men acted on it, and then there would be no slavery, no war, no sweating, no striking, no lying, no robbing; but all would be justice and love! What a kingdom is this which has such a law! This is The Christian Code. This is the condensation of all that is right and generous. We adore the King out of whose mouth and heart such a law could flow. This one rule is a proof of the divinity of our holy religion. The universal practice of it by all who call themselves Christians would carry conviction to Jew, Turk, and infidel, with greater speed and certainty than all the apologies and arguments which the wit or piety of men could produce.

Lord, teach it to me! Write it on the fleshly tablets of my renewed heart! Write it out in full in my life! “

Conclusion

These verses speak powerfully to our hearts because they powerfully show us Jesus. No one ever prayed to the Father so consistency and expectantly as He did. He never stopped talking to his Father. He never stopped trusting his Father. He knew more intimately than anyone that he is a good Father.

And no one ever loved like Jesus. No one! Friend or foe, his love was a river of compassion, grace, and mercy. Look to Jesus and his love for sinners like you and me to see the Golden Rule in real life.