Ask, Seek, Knock!

MIT: God answers to all our prayers because He is a good Father.

Introduction

“Thank you, Pastor Rusty, for entrusting me your pulpit this morning.”

“Thank you, Cherry Grove Baptist Church for having me here with you this morning.”

I was told many of you are members of the educational community. I cannot think of a better place to have a foreigner preaching than at room full of English professors.

I’ll pray for you as you listen to me.

I bet somebody back at Southeastern thought it would be a funny. Thank you

Pastor Rusty mentioned to me that your church was established back in 1810. Just so you know, The Dominican Republic was founded as a nation in 1844. That is quit remarkable!

“This morning I would like to speak to you about prayer.”

What is Prayer?

I took the liberty of interviewing some influential Christians in history, what they though about prayer.

Here are some of their answers:

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Prayer, Definitions Of

Prayer. The chief exercise of faith, by which we daily receive God’s benefits.

John Calvin

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Prayer is the most important subject in practical religion.

J.C. Ryle

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.

C.H. Spurgeon

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Prayer, in many ways, is the supreme expression of our faith in God.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What do all these men have in common? They regarded prayer as the chief manifestation of our faith.

“There is no outward evidence of our faith more accurate and genuine than prayer.”

If we were to ask Jesus, he would simply tell us to look at his life. Prayer was his No.1 non-negotiable activity.

He could go days without food or water.

He could go days without resting.

He could go days without ministering to people.

But He could not go a single day without prayer.

And yet, prayer is usually the first thing to go out in our agendas.

“My prayer this morning is that you will not see prayer as another task in your agenda. But that you see the God at the other end of our prayers.”

Not that you feel burden to pray more.

But that you’ll see God the Father so magnificent that you’ll be drawn to pray more to him.

“As a matter of fact, this morning I want to reassure you that God answers all our prayers, because He is a good Father.”

If you may, turn with me to Matthew 7:7-11

Matthew 7:7–11 NKJV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being 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!

God Is Inviting You To Pray (vv7-8)

The passage we just read is found, in its larger context, in what it’s known as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

If you know anything about the Sermon of the Mount, you’ll know that is a stirring Sermon. It went against the religious culture of the day.

Not to many verses ago, Jesus instructs his disciples: (Mt 7:1-6)

Not to be quick to condemn others.

Not to be quick to give them a free pass.

It is almost like saying, “be caution, less you fall in either side of the ditch.”

When I think of these passages, I think of the times we are living in:

Times of political turmoil.

A pandemic that is always “pulling the rug out from under us”.

A church in America which, in many ways, seems to be more divided than united.

“How can we have the discernment to navigate these troublesome waters?”

Pray

The Invitation to Pray.

Jesus makes his invitation to anyone and everyone. - “For everyone who asks receives...” (v8)

Anybody* can have an audience before the Throne of Grace. God’s throne is not restricted to the “Christian elite”.

Students are teachers can come alike.

No religious etiquette or manners are required.

The simplest word are often the most appropriate words.

“Now, I say anyone, but if this was an advertisement about prayer, we would need to include a fine print at the bottom that says: “Some Restrictions Apply.”

The Prerequisites to Prayer

Jesus is not telling us everything there is to say about prayer.

There are, very important elements about prayer, he assumes we already know.

You have to be a member of God’s family, God’s child. That is a common thread in the Sermon of the Mount, for it is addressed to Jesus’ disciples.

Mt 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Mt 5:48 “48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

[The Lord’s Prayer begins] Mt 6:9 “9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

God does not promises to hear (answer) the prayers of the sinners, for sins interrupts any line of communication between man and God.

Prov 15.29 “29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

There is a clear contrast:

God hears the prayers of the righteous.

But God turns the wicked down.

God does not promise to hear (answer) the prayers of his children either, if they have unconfessed sins.

Ps 66:18 “18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”

You ought to pray with faith.

Jam 1:6-7 “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, […] 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”

You ought to pray according to His will.

1 Jn 5:14 “14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

“Once these prerequisites (pre|re|khue|zut) are meet, and only when these prerequisites are meet, God promises to answer every one of prayer.”

“God is not merely granting you a hearing, He is inviting you into his presence!”

The Manner of our Prayer - With Perseverance

“Look how intensity escalates in these verses.”

It seems Jesus wants us to realize there are different degrees of pursuit, when it comes to prayer.

Illustration: When a child needs his mon or dad, does he quit at the first attempt?

-He ask.

-If he is not heard, he seeks.

-If he finds they are busy, he knocks!

[Then they ask you why mom and dad are locked up in their bedroom]

This is not only true of children, it is also true of adults who truly know they can’t do anything apart from God.

Example - The Canaanite Woman - Mt. 15.21-28

“21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him (“she knelt before Him”), saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Three (3) times she came to Jesus. Each time with more boldness.

And yet, it was not her boldness that Jesus points out, but her faith!

“She persevered, not because she was bold, but because she had faith.”

(it is not like she had the gift of telemarketing…)

Jesus was NOT trying to look down on her. He surely wanted to teach his disciples a lesson about faith.

Jesus also wanted to test her faith, for He knew she had plenty of faith to keep on asking.

“I wonder, how often does God not answer our prayers because we quitted too soon?”

We ask only, when we should have sought.

We seek only, when we should have knocked.

You might think, “I don’t want to come across as annoying to God.” Or, “I’ve prayed enough times about it.”

I hope you find confident in knowing that Jesus himself is asking you to persevere with Him.

[Let me know if you need anything story]

Sometimes I tell people back home in the D.R., “If you need anything, let me know.”

I know there isn’t much I can do from here. They know there isn’t much I can do for them.

Thus, my saying becomes nothing more than a cordiality at best, a formality at worst.

Jesus is not trying to be cordial with us. This is not a mere formality because unlike myself, He can do anything and everything!

Thats why he is not commanding you to ask, but to keep on asking.

The verbs “ask”, “seek” and “knock” are imperative, meaning it is a command.

Moreover, they are in present tense meaning, “keep on asking”.

Matthew 7:7 NLT

7 “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.

In other words, Jesus does not have a mere action in mind, but a habit, a way of life.

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.

D.L. Moody

Application

Some of you may ask me: “Does it really matter? Is prayer really going to make a difference?”

I would reply, “when did it stop making a difference?”

We know how to persevere, we are good at it.

We endure strict diets and workout because we believe it will give us good health.

We endure stressful work environment because we believe it will give us a comfortable retirement plan.

We endure long nights studying because we believe a good education will open any door.

But we don’t endure in our prayers, because we don’t believe in God.

“We claim to believe him, but our prayer life says otherwise.”

May I challenged you to pray more?

Like the Canaanite woman, I wan to encourage you to pray until one of two things happen:

God answers your prayer, in whatever fashion He desires.

God changes your heart about the think you are praying about.

God Is Inviting You To Pray With Confident (vv9-11)

Matthew 7:9–11 NKJV

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being 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!

He guarantees to answer your prayers (v7).

Ask and you shall receive.

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it will be opened.

Just in case you are wandering if Jesus really meant to said what he said, that a look at verse 8.

It is easy for us to overlook why verses 7 and 8 look so familiar.

“Well, Jesus is just saying the same thing in a different way.

Exactly! But why?

In Hebrew culture, when you wanted to emphasis somethings, you would repeat it.

Ex. “Verily, verily I say unto you...”

Ex. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.

Jesus is eager for us to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God will answers to all our prayers.

“He wants us to know that we can approach the Throne of Grace with confident, because our Father sits on the throne.”

Because He is your Father.

Verses 9-11 grounds Jesus invitation in the sole fact that God is our Father. But not any Father, He is our Good Father.

Matthew 7:9–11 NKJV

9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being 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!

For us, to see God as our Father is not uncommon. But for a first century Jew, this was an abstract term.

In the Old Testament, the attribute of God which is most highlighted is his holiness.

In the New Testament, however, the attribute of God which is most highlighted is his love.

God is portrait as a loving God who is willing to do the unimaginable to redeem his people.

Moreover, he is a Father whom is eager to adopt his enemies as his children.

“You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father.” - J.I. Packer - “Knowing God”

“Father” is the Christian name for God. - J.I. Packer

I should pause here and say a few words about Fatherhood.

I understand that, for some of you, the words “good” and “father” don’t go well together.

When you think of your earthly father, you think of everything but good.

Perhaps you struggle to see God as a Father, because of all the pain your earthly father caused you.

“My aim this morning is not to sweep your pain under the rug, but that you find healing in your heavenly father.”

No matter your experience with your father, you have a heavenly father which far exceeds your earthly father.

Mt 7.11 “11 If you then, being 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!”

You have a Father in Heaven, whose love overrides any experience you’ve had with your earthly father.

“Do not limit your Heavenly Father, to your experience with your earthly father.” - John Piper

“Your Heavenly Father is so loving that he desires nothing but good for you.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Now, I know God is not talking to Cherry Grove Baptist Church, but to an Israel in exiled.

However, is not the God of Israel the same God of Cherry Grove Baptist Church?

Would God do less for the bride of his Son? His very children?

“For what would He not now give to [his] sons when they ask, when He has already granted this very thing, namely, that they might be [his] sons?” - St. Augustine

But I may as, is there someone here today whom God has not granted this very thing? To be his son/daughter?

You see, when God spoke these words to Israel, they were in a serious pickle.

Their sin and disobedience lead them to a state of suffering.

You could say, in a way, they were cast away from God.

But there was still hope. If they only called upon God!

Jeremiah 29:12–13 NKJV

12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Are you searching for God?! Here is the key! Here is the invite! Search him with all your heart!

[Briefly Present the Gospel]

Because He knows what we need.

God desires nothing but good for us. But here is the problem: Our definition of good is not the same as God’s.

We think...

To be healthy is a good thing.

To have financial stability is a good thing.

To fulfill your desires is a good thing.

But sometimes,

God prospers our spiritual life through financial hardship.

God heals our soul through our illness.

God satisfies us when we have nothing but Him.

Moreover, we don’t even know what is good for us!

Sometimes we are asking God for bread, but He knows we are actually asking for are for stones.

Sometimes we are asking God for fishes, but He knows we are actually asking for are for serpents.

Sometimes we complain to God because he’s given us stones, when in fact He is giving us fishes.

Sometimes we complain to God because he’s given us serpents, when in fact He is giving us bread.

Like the child who complains to his mother that the medicine she is giving him has a bad taste, when in fact could save his life.

“We simply don’t know what is best for us, but our Father does.”

My Favorite Illustrations Prayer

I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered [granted].

—Jean Ingelow

Here is the bottomline:

“No matter what God sends your way, it is good for you.”

Look at Paul for example…

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 NKJV

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul plead God to remove a “thorn in the flesh”.

God denied his request.

Paul rejoices in the suffering God has inflicted on him.

Brother and Sisters, a denied prayer is as much as blessing as a granted prayer.

That cancer of yours, may be a blessing from God.

Perhaps losing your job during the pandemic was an act of God’s grace towards you.

The greatest blessings in he history of mankind came at the hand of a prayer denied.

Matthew 26:39 NKJV

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Jesus knows what it’s like to have your prayers denied.

Jesus knows what is like to feel forsaken as he pleaded to his Father.

But He also knows God the Father is a good Father. He did it all out of love for you and me.

Conclusion

“My brothers and sisters at Cherry Grove Baptist Church, I don’t know what you have been praying this past few years as a church. I don’t know what you’ve been asking God lately. But I want to encourage you to keep on praying!”

If you need to ask, ASK!

if you need to seek, SEEK!

If you need to knock, KNOCK!

“Take Jesus’s word for it, and pray with the confident that our Father is eager to answer your prayers.”