Verse
Context
Ask, Seek, Knock
6Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Sermons
Corrie Ten Boom
Duncan Campbell
Zac Poonen
Kathryn Kuhlman
Paul Washer
Basilea Schlink
Adrian RogersSummary
Commentary
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you--Though there seems evidently a climax here, expressive of more and more importunity, yet each of these terms used presents what we desire of God in a different light. We ask for what we wish; we seek for what we miss; we knock for that from which we feel ourselves shut out. Answering to this threefold representation is the triple assurance of success to our believing efforts. "But ah!" might some humble disciple say, "I cannot persuade myself that I have any interest with God." To meet this, our Lord repeats the triple assurance He had just given, but in such a form as to silence every such complaint.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Ask and it shall be given you,.... This is to be understood of asking of God in prayer, for such things as are wanting; whether of a temporal nature, as food and raiment, which Christ, in the former chapter, had warned against an immoderate and anxious concern for; or of a spiritual nature, as grace, and wisdom to behave in a proper manner, both towards God and men: and such, who ask according to the will of God, in the name of Christ, and under the direction, guidance, and influence of the Spirit, who ask in faith and fear, and with submission to the divine will, shall have what they ask for; not as what they deserve, but as a free gift. Seek, and ye shall find. This is still meant of prayer, and of seeking God, his face and favour: which such shall find, who seek in a right way, by Christ, and with their whole hearts, diligently: knock and it shall be opened unto you as beggars do, who use much importunity for relief and assistance. So men should stand and knock at the door of mercy, which will not always be shut against them. Faith in prayer is a key that opens this door, when a poor soul finds grace and mercy to help it in time of need. Our Lord's design is to express the nature, fervour, and constancy of prayer, and to encourage to it.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Our Saviour, in the foregoing chapter, had spoken of prayer as a commanded duty, by which God is honoured, and which, if done aright, shall be rewarded; here he speaks of it as the appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts he had given, some of which are so displeasing to flesh and blood. I. Here is a precept in three words to the same purport, Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7:7); that is, in one word, "Pray; pray often; pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray, and pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be constant in it; make a business of prayer, and be earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms." Those that would be rich in grace, must betake themselves to the poor trade of begging, and they shall find it a thriving trade. "Ask; represent your wants and burthens to God, and refer yourselves to him for support and supply, according to his promise. Ask as a traveller asks the way; to pray is to enquire of God, Eze 36:37. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost, or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Seek by prayer, Dan 9:3. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door." We would be admitted to converse with God, would be taken into his love, and favour, and kingdom; sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer, we knock; Lord, Lord, open to us. Christ knocks at our door (Rev 3:20; Sol 5:2); and allows us to knock at his, which is a favour we do not allow to common beggars. Seeking and knocking imply something more than asking and praying. 1. We must not only ask but seek; we must second our prayers with our endeavors; we must, in the use of the appointed means, seek for that which we ask for, else we tempt God. When the dresser of the vineyard asked for a year's respite for the barren fig-tree, he added, I will dig about it, Luk 13:7, Luk 13:8. God gives knowledge and grace to those that search the scriptures, and wait at Wisdom's gates; and power against sin to those that avoid the occasions of it. 2. We must not only ask, but knock; we must come to God's door, must ask importunately; not only pray, but plead and wrestle with God; we must seek diligently; we must continue knocking; must persevere in prayer, and in the use of means; must endure to the end in the duty. II. Here is a promised annexed: our labour in prayer, if indeed we do labour in it, shall not be in vain: where God finds a praying heart, he will be found a prayer-hearing God; he shall give thee an answer of peace. The precept is threefold, ask, seek, knock; there is precept upon precept; but the promise is sixfold, line upon line, for our encouragement; because a firm belief of the promise would make us cheerful and constant in our obedience. Now here, 1. The promise is made, and made so as exactly to answer the precept, Mat 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; not lent you, not sold you, but given you; and what is more free than gift? Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, whatever you ask, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? It is but ask and have; ye have not, because ye ask not, or ask not aright: what is not worth asking, is not worth having, and then it is worth nothing. Seek, and ye shall find, and then you do not lose your labour; God is himself found of those that seek him, and if we find him we have enough. "Knock, and it shall be opened; the door of mercy and grace shall no longer be shut against you as enemies and intruders, but opened to you as friends and children. It will be asked, who is at the door? If you be able to say, a friend, and have the ticket of promise ready to produce in the hand of faith, doubt not of admission. If the door be not opened at the first knock, continue instant in prayer; it is an affront to a friend to knock at his door, and then go away; though he tarry, yet wait." 2. It is repeated, Mat 7:8. It is to the same purport, yet with some addition. (1.) It is made to extend to all that pray aright; "Not only you my disciples shall receive what you pray for, but every one that asketh, receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, they are all alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith: for God is no respecter of persons." (2.) It is made so as to amount to a grant, in words of the present tense, which is more than a promise for the future. Every one that asketh, not only shall receive, but receiveth; by faith, applying and appropriating the promise, we are actually interested and invested in the good promised: so sure and inviolable are the promises of God, that they do, in effect, give present possession: an active believer enters immediately, and makes the blessings promised his own. What have we in hope, according to the promise, is as sure, and should be as sweet, as what we have in hand. God hath spoken in his holiness, and then Gilead is mine, Manasseh mine (Psa 108:7, Psa 108:8); it is all mine own, if I can but make it so by believing it so. Conditional grants become absolute upon the performance of the condition; so here, he that asketh, receiveth. Christ hereby puts his fiat to the petition; and he having all power, that is enough. 3. It is illustrated, by a similitude taken from earthly parents, and their innate readiness to give their children what they ask. Christ appeals to his hearers, What man is there of you, though never so morose and ill-humoured, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Mat 7:9, Mat 7:10. Whence he infers (Mat 7:11), If ye then, being evil, yet grant your children's requests, much more will your heavenly Father give you the good things you ask. Now this is of use, (1.) To direct our prayers and expectations. [1.] We must come to God, as children to a Father in heaven, with reverence and confidence. How naturally does a child in want or distress run to the father with its complaints; My head, my head; thus should the new nature send us to God for supports and supplies. [2.] We must come to him for good things, for those he gives to them that ask him; which teaches us to refer ourselves to him; we know not what is good for ourselves (Ecc 6:12), but he knows what is good for us, we must therefore leave it with him; Father, thy will be done. The child is here supposed to ask bread, that is necessary, and a fish, that is wholesome; but if the child should foolishly ask for a stone, or a serpent, for unripe fruit to eat, or a sharp knife to play with, the father, though kind, is so wise as to deny him. We often ask that of God which would do us harm if we had it; he knows this, and therefore does not give it to us. Denials in love are better than grants in anger; we should have been undone ere this if we had had all we desired; this is admirably well expressed by a heathen, Juvenal, Sat. 10. Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus, quid Conveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris, Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt dii. Carior est illis homo, quam sibi: nos animorum Impulsu, et caeca, magnaque cupidine ducti, Conjugium petimus, partumque uxoris; at illis Notum est, qui pueri, qualisque futura sit uxor. Entrust thy fortune to the powers above. Leave them to manage for thee, and to grant What their unerring wisdom sees thee want: In goodness, as in greatness, they excel; Ah, that we lov'd ourselves but half so well! We, blindly by our headstrong passions led, Seek a companion, and desire to wed; Then wish for heirs: but to the gods alone Our future offspring and our wives are known. (2.) To encourage our prayers and expectations. We may hope that we shall not be denied and disappointed: we shall not have a stone for bread, to break our teeth (though we have a hard crust to employ our teeth), nor a serpent for a fish, to sting us; we have reason indeed to fear it, because we deserve it, but God will be better to us than the desert of our sins. The world often gives stones for bread, and serpents for fish, but God never does; nay, we shall be heard and answered, for children are by their parents. [1.] God has put into the hearts of parents a compassionate inclination to succour and supply their children, according to their need. Even those that have had little conscience of duty, yet have done it, as it were by instinct. No law was ever thought necessary to oblige parents to maintain their legitimate children, nor, in Solomon's time, their illegitimate ones. [2.] He has assumed the relation of a Father to us, and owns us for his children; that from the readiness we find in ourselves to relieve our children, we may be encouraged to apply ourselves to him for relief. What love and tenderness fathers have are from him; not from nature but from the God of nature; and therefore they must needs be infinitely greater in himself. He compares his concern for his people to that of a father for his children (Psa 103:13), nay, to that of a mother, which is usually more tender, Isa 66:13; Isa 49:14, Isa 49:15. But here it is supposed, that his love, and tenderness, and goodness, far excel that of any earthly parent; and therefore it is argued with a much more, and it is grounded upon this undoubted truth, that God is a better Father, infinitely better than any earthly parents are; his thoughts are above theirs. Our earthly fathers have taken care of us; we have taken care of our children; much more will God take care of his; for they are evil, originally so; the degenerate seed of fallen Adam; they have lost much of the good nature that belonged to humanity, and among other corruptions, have that of crossness and unkindness in them; yet they give good things to their children, and they know how to give, suitably and seasonably; much more will God, for he takes up when they forsake, Psa 27:10. And, First, God is more knowing; parents are often foolishly fond, but God is wise, infinitely so; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us. Secondly, God is more kind. If all the compassions of all the tender fathers in the world were crowded into the bowels of one, yet compared with the tender mercies of our God, they would be but as a candle to the sun, or a drop to the ocean. God is more rich, and more ready to give to his children than the fathers of our flesh can be; for he is the Father of our spirits, an ever-loving, ever-living Father. The bowels of Fathers yearn even towards undutiful children, towards prodigals, as David's toward Absalom, and will not all this serve to silence disbelief?
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:7-8 This passage teaches persistence in prayer, but Jesus does not teach that God will grant extravagant desires. God’s people are to seek daily provision and spiritual blessing (6:10-11).
Ask, Seek, Knock
6Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Effectual Fervent Prayer
By Corrie Ten Boom35K50:26Fervent PrayerPSA 55:22JER 1:12MAT 7:7MAT 11:28PHP 4:6HEB 12:21PE 5:7In this sermon, the speaker begins by expressing their reliance on God's strength and their desire to be a channel for His living water. They then pray for various individuals, including a teenager who made a mistake, and express their hope that God can reach and transform them. The speaker also confesses their own sin of impatience and prays for forgiveness. They emphasize the importance of being fully surrendered to God and allowing Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit. The sermon concludes with a reminder that God hears our prayers and a story from the speaker's childhood. Overall, the sermon encourages listeners to pray fervently and trust in God's power and love.
Revival on the Isle of Lewis
By Duncan Campbell23K1:01:00Revival HistoryMAT 3:11MAT 6:33MAT 7:7MAT 25:41ACT 2:1ACT 2:38ACT 17:30In this sermon transcript, the speaker shares a powerful testimony of a revival that took place in a parish. The revival began when four young girls, aged 16, prayed for their headmaster and their prayers were answered. The speaker then describes a meeting where he preached and the power of God fell upon the people while they were singing a song. Many people cried out to God for mercy and experienced a transformation. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of honesty and shares a testimony of a man who knew God deeply. The sermon highlights the fruits of the revival and the impact it had on the community.
Reality in the Christian Life
By Zac Poonen17K1:00:53HypocrisyMAT 1:21MAT 6:33MAT 7:7ROM 6:14ROM 8:37PHP 4:4COL 2:16In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the precious and magnificent promises that God has given us in the scriptures. He explains that these promises are not meant to solely bring us health or wealth, but to transform us and make us partakers of God's nature. The speaker highlights the fallen nature of humanity, using the analogy of a pig being naturally dirty. He warns against the deception and hypocrisy prevalent in the world and encourages listeners to seek genuine godliness and inner reality. The speaker also shares his personal journey of realizing the need for authenticity in his own life and the importance of living out the truths of the Bible consistently.
1974 Jerusalem Conference - Part 2
By Kathryn Kuhlman15K46:22ConferenceMAT 7:7MRK 5:34LUK 13:11ACT 9:3ROM 12:1HEB 4:16REV 21:4In this sermon, the preacher shares testimonies of miraculous healings that have taken place during the service. One woman who had been suffering from an orthopedic problem for three years suddenly experiences complete healing and is able to move her leg without pain. Another woman who had been unable to walk for three and a half years due to creditors is also miraculously healed. The preacher emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit and encourages the congregation to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God.
2006 Heart-Cry - Journal Reading and Message
By Paul Washer14K58:20Living By FaithPSA 34:10JER 29:13MAT 7:7ROM 8:291CO 2:9HEB 11:6JAS 4:2In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the goodness of God and His plans for believers. He encourages young men to seek and avail themselves of God's promises through prayer and perseverance. The speaker shares a personal testimony of wrestling with a particular issue for many years and experiencing a breakthrough through prayer. He also highlights the faithfulness of God in providing for their ministry despite financial challenges. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the importance of relying on God alone and the abundance of promises in the Bible for believers.
(Messages) Nearness of Jesus
By Basilea Schlink13K55:31JesusPSA 30:5PSA 34:17PSA 126:5MAT 7:7ROM 8:181TH 5:16HEB 12:6In this sermon, Mother Basilia Schlink talks about the experience of Canaan, the land where God dwelled and performed miracles in biblical times. She emphasizes that Canaan has become a reality today, where God continues to perform miracles through prayer and faith. Mother Basilia shares a personal example of how God intervened during the construction of the motherhouse and chapel, turning a difficult situation into a blessing. She also highlights the importance of repentance and the love for Jesus as the motivation for their ministry. The sermon concludes by acknowledging the power of loving Jesus and how it has made Canaan a worldwide influence for believers.
Principle of Prayer
By Adrian Rogers11K34:26PrayerMAT 7:7LUK 11:5In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of persistent prayer. He uses the story of a man who goes to his friend's house at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread. Despite his friend initially refusing to help, the man persists and eventually receives what he needs. The preacher emphasizes that this story teaches us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we receive an answer from God. He also highlights that God desires to give good things to those who ask Him, and encourages believers to trust in the power of prayer.
My Godly Father
By Keith Daniel9.6K1:16:49FatherMAT 7:7ROM 10:132CO 5:17In this sermon, the speaker shares the story of his father's journey towards salvation. As a young boy, his father had a strong desire to become rich and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it. However, as he grew older, he realized the emptiness of his pursuit and the impact it had on his family. One day, a woman confronted his father about his lack of faith in God, pointing to the transformation in his sons' lives as evidence of God's power. This encounter led his father to spend hours in prayer, seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. Despite his efforts to build a decent life, the outbreak of World War II shattered his dreams and those of millions of others. The sermon emphasizes the importance of turning to God and finding hope and purpose in Him, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
God Uses Foolish Things - Part 2
By Jackie Pullinger8.9K28:22ServiceGEN 1:27PSA 139:14PRO 3:5MAT 6:33MAT 7:7MAT 24:14JHN 14:6In the sermon transcript, the speaker expresses gratitude and thanks to the audience for their presence and support. They mention the importance of attending church and encourage the listeners to prioritize their spiritual growth. The speaker also discusses the significance of education and learning, particularly in the field of science and technology. They emphasize the importance of seeking truth and acknowledge the challenges of answering difficult questions. Overall, the sermon encourages gratitude, spiritual growth, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Do You Need a Miracle?
By Jim Cymbala8.2K25:16MiraclesGEN 32:26JER 33:3MAT 6:33MAT 7:7MRK 5:27MRK 5:30ACT 17:27In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of experiencing a supernatural work from God in our hearts and souls. He encourages the congregation to believe in the possibility of miracles and expresses his desire for God to perform miracles in the building. The preacher then analyzes the story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5, highlighting her desperation and faith in touching Jesus to receive her miracle. He emphasizes the need to come to Jesus with our hearts and explains that physical proximity is not necessary for this encounter.
Claiming the Power That Is in Christ
By David Wilkerson6.9K56:58Power Of The SpiritMAT 7:7MRK 11:24JHN 16:22JAS 4:21JN 5:14In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power and authority that believers have in Christ. He encourages the congregation to claim this power and not be hindered by the forces of the enemy. Jesus assures his disciples that although he will go away, he will come back and they will see him again. He promises that the Holy Spirit will reveal all things to them and teach them. The preacher also highlights the importance of praying in Jesus' name and the assurance that whatever is asked in his name, the Father will give.
Revival Series 5
By Leonard Ravenhill6.7K52:54RevivalMAT 6:33MAT 7:7MAT 9:37MAT 20:161CO 3:82CO 5:10REV 14:13In this sermon, the preacher discusses the downfall of those who have gained wealth and power through dishonest means. He emphasizes that their kingdom will eventually perish, while the kingdom of believers will thrive. The preacher also highlights the importance of focusing on the word of God and not drowning it out with excessive human words. He mentions the need for believers to lay up treasures in heaven through their works, as they will be rewarded accordingly. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the significance of prayer and the importance of seeking a deep relationship with God.
Immersed in the Holy Ghost
By Smith Wigglesworth6.7K04:26Audio BooksMAT 7:7MRK 16:17JHN 14:26ACT 1:8ACT 8:39ACT 17:6PHP 2:13In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of being in a room and feeling unable to communicate with others. However, through prayer and the power of God, the speaker was able to bring three men to their knees and initiate a revival. The speaker expresses a hunger to see even greater things and believes that God has a plan to turn the world upside down. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being immersed in God and experiencing His power and might, leading to transformation and the manifestation of signs and wonders. The speaker also shares a testimony of healing and emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding and empowering believers.
Seeking God
By Hans R. Waldvogel6.5K15:09Seeking GodJER 2:8JER 29:13MAT 6:33MAT 7:72CO 5:20PHP 3:82TI 4:8In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of seeking God with one's whole heart. He uses the example of a woman searching for a lost piece of money to illustrate the determination and persistence required in seeking God. The preacher also highlights the uniqueness of the apostle Paul, who confidently declares that a crown of righteousness awaits him because he has lived a righteous life. The sermon concludes with a call to seek God constantly and attentively, entering into one's own heart and soul to find Him.
Audio Sermon: Seeking God
By Hans R. Waldvogel5.5K15:102CH 15:2PSA 27:8PSA 105:4PRO 4:23JER 29:13MAT 6:33MAT 7:7PHP 3:8HEB 11:6JAS 4:8
This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking and finding God with our whole hearts, highlighting the transformative power of truly knowing God. It challenges listeners to not settle for superficial blessings or experiences but to press through to a deep, intimate relationship with God. The speaker urges a dedicated pursuit of God, drawing from biblical examples like the woman searching for a lost coin and the need for ministers and believers to truly know the Lord in their service.
(First Baptist Church) #4 - the Welsh Revival of 1904-05
By J. Edwin Orr5.1K22:48Welsh RevivalISA 64:8MAT 7:7MAT 28:19ACT 5:29ROM 10:9JAS 4:171JN 1:9In this sermon transcript, the speaker discusses the impact of a revival on the community and the role of the police during this time. The speaker shares that before the revival, the police's main job was to prevent crime and control crowds, but since the revival, there has been practically no crime. The speaker also mentions that the churches are now packed every night, and if any church wants a quartet to sing, they notify the police. The sermon also highlights the story of Evan Roberts, a young man who prayed for God to use him to bring 100,000 souls to Christ, and within five months, there were 100,000 conversions.
(Hebrews - Part 33): By Faith Enoch
By A.W. Tozer5.1K24:15ExpositionalGEN 4:4GEN 5:22GEN 5:24GEN 6:5MAT 7:7ROM 3:23HEB 11:6In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the story of Enoch from the Bible and highlights five key lessons that can be learned from his life. The first lesson is that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Enoch's faith allowed him to find water in the desert when no one else could. The second lesson is the importance of the Church as a new brotherhood of the redeemed. The speaker emphasizes the significance of connecting the past with the present and allowing those who have knowledge to teach those who do not. Lastly, the speaker encourages the audience to be willing to detach themselves from their generation and seek God's approval rather than the approval of others. The example of John Wesley is given as someone who faced opposition but ultimately triumphed by staying true to his message.
Calling on the Name of the Lord
By Jim Cymbala4.4K40:12GEN 4:25PSA 4:3PSA 14:4PSA 50:15ISA 55:6JER 33:3MAT 7:7ACT 2:42JAS 5:16This sermon emphasizes the power and importance of calling on the name of the Lord in times of trouble and need. It recounts personal experiences and biblical principles that highlight the transformative impact of earnest prayer and calling out to God. The speaker shares how prayer and calling on God led to miraculous interventions and transformations in challenging situations, emphasizing the need for a deep, consistent, and faith-filled prayer life.
The Delays of Life
By Warren Wiersbe4.3K37:41PSA 37:4MAT 6:33MAT 7:7LUK 6:38ACT 24:23ROM 5:3ROM 8:28In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of delays in God's plan. He emphasizes that delays are a part of God's plan and serve to fulfill His purposes. The preacher also highlights the importance of trusting in God's promises during times of delay. He uses the example of the apostle Paul, who received promises from God when he faced difficult situations. The preacher concludes by reminding the audience that the will of God is not a rigid machine, but a living body that can adapt to changing circumstances.
The Mercy & Grace of God
By Paul Washer4.3K1:13:37PSA 119:105PRO 29:18ISA 54:13MAT 7:7MAT 22:37ROM 12:11PE 1:14In this sermon, the speaker urges the audience to present their bodies as living and holy sacrifices to God. He emphasizes the importance of passionately pursuing God and not being afraid to burn out for Him. The speaker encourages the audience to seek guidance from the Bible in all aspects of their lives, including relationships and finances. He also highlights the need to separate oneself from wickedness and be aware of the snares set by the evil one in the world.
Ask, and It Shall Be Given Unto You
By Keith Daniel4.1K1:19:39Asking PrayerMAT 7:7JAS 5:141JN 3:21In this sermon, Keith Daniel shares a powerful testimony of God's provision and intervention in his life. He recounts a moment when a stranger approached him at a mall and offered to buy him meat at a discounted price, claiming that God had spoken to him. This encounter deeply moved Keith and reminded him of God's faithfulness. He also shares a story from his childhood, highlighting the extreme poverty his family faced and the physical hardships they endured. Through these stories, Keith emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's provision and seeking Him in all circumstances.
The Dreamer
By B.H. Clendennen4.1K1:14:26JosephGEN 37:19MAT 7:7MAT 22:37JHN 5:6ACT 17:11EPH 1:15REV 2:4In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the increasing knowledge and advancements in the world, particularly in the field of science. However, he observes that religious dreamers are still held in contempt and are often overlooked because they are not focused on entertainment and pleasure. The preacher emphasizes the importance of finding joy and fulfillment in the presence of Christ, rather than being consumed by worldly desires. He also highlights the need for Christians to live out their faith and be a living testimony of the resurrected Christ, so that others may see and believe.
Confidence - Will We Trust Him
By David Platt4.0K56:47MAT 7:7PHP 4:6
This sermon focuses on the power and importance of prayer, emphasizing that prayer is more than just asking for things from God. It delves into the depth of prayer, highlighting the primary purpose of expressing our need for God, exploring intimacy with Him, and experiencing His power. The sermon also touches on the Lord's Prayer, emphasizing the need to align our desires with God's will before making our requests. The story in Luke chapter 11 about a man seeking bread at midnight is used to illustrate the boldness, shamelessness, and persistence we should have in prayer, trusting in God's ability, approachability, and activity in our lives.
(God's Sanctuary) 03 Men of His Own Heart 2
By Bakht Singh4.0K52:05SanctuaryPSA 27:8PSA 34:8PSA 118:8PRO 3:5MAT 6:33MAT 7:7JAS 1:5In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of seeking God's help constantly, even in the face of opposition and persecution. He uses the example of David, who learned to talk with the Lord freely and seek His guidance. The speaker highlights that we cannot depend on human help for victory, but must rely on the Lord. He also emphasizes the need to continually seek God's help and not come to Him empty-handed. The sermon encourages believers to learn from David's example and seek God's guidance in all situations.
Losing the Anointing - Part 2 (High Quality)
By David Wilkerson3.9K29:182CH 7:14NEH 1:4PSA 27:8ISA 55:6DAN 10:12MAT 7:7ACT 3:19HEB 11:6JAS 4:8REV 3:20
This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking a fresh anointing from God, recounting personal experiences of revival and the need for a renewed passion for ministry. The speaker shares about the challenges faced in ministry, the call to intimacy with Christ, and the necessity of perseverance and seeking God's face for a new anointing to fulfill one's purpose.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you--Though there seems evidently a climax here, expressive of more and more importunity, yet each of these terms used presents what we desire of God in a different light. We ask for what we wish; we seek for what we miss; we knock for that from which we feel ourselves shut out. Answering to this threefold representation is the triple assurance of success to our believing efforts. "But ah!" might some humble disciple say, "I cannot persuade myself that I have any interest with God." To meet this, our Lord repeats the triple assurance He had just given, but in such a form as to silence every such complaint.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Ask and it shall be given you,.... This is to be understood of asking of God in prayer, for such things as are wanting; whether of a temporal nature, as food and raiment, which Christ, in the former chapter, had warned against an immoderate and anxious concern for; or of a spiritual nature, as grace, and wisdom to behave in a proper manner, both towards God and men: and such, who ask according to the will of God, in the name of Christ, and under the direction, guidance, and influence of the Spirit, who ask in faith and fear, and with submission to the divine will, shall have what they ask for; not as what they deserve, but as a free gift. Seek, and ye shall find. This is still meant of prayer, and of seeking God, his face and favour: which such shall find, who seek in a right way, by Christ, and with their whole hearts, diligently: knock and it shall be opened unto you as beggars do, who use much importunity for relief and assistance. So men should stand and knock at the door of mercy, which will not always be shut against them. Faith in prayer is a key that opens this door, when a poor soul finds grace and mercy to help it in time of need. Our Lord's design is to express the nature, fervour, and constancy of prayer, and to encourage to it.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Our Saviour, in the foregoing chapter, had spoken of prayer as a commanded duty, by which God is honoured, and which, if done aright, shall be rewarded; here he speaks of it as the appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts he had given, some of which are so displeasing to flesh and blood. I. Here is a precept in three words to the same purport, Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7:7); that is, in one word, "Pray; pray often; pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray, and pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be constant in it; make a business of prayer, and be earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms." Those that would be rich in grace, must betake themselves to the poor trade of begging, and they shall find it a thriving trade. "Ask; represent your wants and burthens to God, and refer yourselves to him for support and supply, according to his promise. Ask as a traveller asks the way; to pray is to enquire of God, Eze 36:37. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost, or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Seek by prayer, Dan 9:3. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door." We would be admitted to converse with God, would be taken into his love, and favour, and kingdom; sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer, we knock; Lord, Lord, open to us. Christ knocks at our door (Rev 3:20; Sol 5:2); and allows us to knock at his, which is a favour we do not allow to common beggars. Seeking and knocking imply something more than asking and praying. 1. We must not only ask but seek; we must second our prayers with our endeavors; we must, in the use of the appointed means, seek for that which we ask for, else we tempt God. When the dresser of the vineyard asked for a year's respite for the barren fig-tree, he added, I will dig about it, Luk 13:7, Luk 13:8. God gives knowledge and grace to those that search the scriptures, and wait at Wisdom's gates; and power against sin to those that avoid the occasions of it. 2. We must not only ask, but knock; we must come to God's door, must ask importunately; not only pray, but plead and wrestle with God; we must seek diligently; we must continue knocking; must persevere in prayer, and in the use of means; must endure to the end in the duty. II. Here is a promised annexed: our labour in prayer, if indeed we do labour in it, shall not be in vain: where God finds a praying heart, he will be found a prayer-hearing God; he shall give thee an answer of peace. The precept is threefold, ask, seek, knock; there is precept upon precept; but the promise is sixfold, line upon line, for our encouragement; because a firm belief of the promise would make us cheerful and constant in our obedience. Now here, 1. The promise is made, and made so as exactly to answer the precept, Mat 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; not lent you, not sold you, but given you; and what is more free than gift? Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, whatever you ask, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? It is but ask and have; ye have not, because ye ask not, or ask not aright: what is not worth asking, is not worth having, and then it is worth nothing. Seek, and ye shall find, and then you do not lose your labour; God is himself found of those that seek him, and if we find him we have enough. "Knock, and it shall be opened; the door of mercy and grace shall no longer be shut against you as enemies and intruders, but opened to you as friends and children. It will be asked, who is at the door? If you be able to say, a friend, and have the ticket of promise ready to produce in the hand of faith, doubt not of admission. If the door be not opened at the first knock, continue instant in prayer; it is an affront to a friend to knock at his door, and then go away; though he tarry, yet wait." 2. It is repeated, Mat 7:8. It is to the same purport, yet with some addition. (1.) It is made to extend to all that pray aright; "Not only you my disciples shall receive what you pray for, but every one that asketh, receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, they are all alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith: for God is no respecter of persons." (2.) It is made so as to amount to a grant, in words of the present tense, which is more than a promise for the future. Every one that asketh, not only shall receive, but receiveth; by faith, applying and appropriating the promise, we are actually interested and invested in the good promised: so sure and inviolable are the promises of God, that they do, in effect, give present possession: an active believer enters immediately, and makes the blessings promised his own. What have we in hope, according to the promise, is as sure, and should be as sweet, as what we have in hand. God hath spoken in his holiness, and then Gilead is mine, Manasseh mine (Psa 108:7, Psa 108:8); it is all mine own, if I can but make it so by believing it so. Conditional grants become absolute upon the performance of the condition; so here, he that asketh, receiveth. Christ hereby puts his fiat to the petition; and he having all power, that is enough. 3. It is illustrated, by a similitude taken from earthly parents, and their innate readiness to give their children what they ask. Christ appeals to his hearers, What man is there of you, though never so morose and ill-humoured, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Mat 7:9, Mat 7:10. Whence he infers (Mat 7:11), If ye then, being evil, yet grant your children's requests, much more will your heavenly Father give you the good things you ask. Now this is of use, (1.) To direct our prayers and expectations. [1.] We must come to God, as children to a Father in heaven, with reverence and confidence. How naturally does a child in want or distress run to the father with its complaints; My head, my head; thus should the new nature send us to God for supports and supplies. [2.] We must come to him for good things, for those he gives to them that ask him; which teaches us to refer ourselves to him; we know not what is good for ourselves (Ecc 6:12), but he knows what is good for us, we must therefore leave it with him; Father, thy will be done. The child is here supposed to ask bread, that is necessary, and a fish, that is wholesome; but if the child should foolishly ask for a stone, or a serpent, for unripe fruit to eat, or a sharp knife to play with, the father, though kind, is so wise as to deny him. We often ask that of God which would do us harm if we had it; he knows this, and therefore does not give it to us. Denials in love are better than grants in anger; we should have been undone ere this if we had had all we desired; this is admirably well expressed by a heathen, Juvenal, Sat. 10. Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus, quid Conveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris, Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt dii. Carior est illis homo, quam sibi: nos animorum Impulsu, et caeca, magnaque cupidine ducti, Conjugium petimus, partumque uxoris; at illis Notum est, qui pueri, qualisque futura sit uxor. Entrust thy fortune to the powers above. Leave them to manage for thee, and to grant What their unerring wisdom sees thee want: In goodness, as in greatness, they excel; Ah, that we lov'd ourselves but half so well! We, blindly by our headstrong passions led, Seek a companion, and desire to wed; Then wish for heirs: but to the gods alone Our future offspring and our wives are known. (2.) To encourage our prayers and expectations. We may hope that we shall not be denied and disappointed: we shall not have a stone for bread, to break our teeth (though we have a hard crust to employ our teeth), nor a serpent for a fish, to sting us; we have reason indeed to fear it, because we deserve it, but God will be better to us than the desert of our sins. The world often gives stones for bread, and serpents for fish, but God never does; nay, we shall be heard and answered, for children are by their parents. [1.] God has put into the hearts of parents a compassionate inclination to succour and supply their children, according to their need. Even those that have had little conscience of duty, yet have done it, as it were by instinct. No law was ever thought necessary to oblige parents to maintain their legitimate children, nor, in Solomon's time, their illegitimate ones. [2.] He has assumed the relation of a Father to us, and owns us for his children; that from the readiness we find in ourselves to relieve our children, we may be encouraged to apply ourselves to him for relief. What love and tenderness fathers have are from him; not from nature but from the God of nature; and therefore they must needs be infinitely greater in himself. He compares his concern for his people to that of a father for his children (Psa 103:13), nay, to that of a mother, which is usually more tender, Isa 66:13; Isa 49:14, Isa 49:15. But here it is supposed, that his love, and tenderness, and goodness, far excel that of any earthly parent; and therefore it is argued with a much more, and it is grounded upon this undoubted truth, that God is a better Father, infinitely better than any earthly parents are; his thoughts are above theirs. Our earthly fathers have taken care of us; we have taken care of our children; much more will God take care of his; for they are evil, originally so; the degenerate seed of fallen Adam; they have lost much of the good nature that belonged to humanity, and among other corruptions, have that of crossness and unkindness in them; yet they give good things to their children, and they know how to give, suitably and seasonably; much more will God, for he takes up when they forsake, Psa 27:10. And, First, God is more knowing; parents are often foolishly fond, but God is wise, infinitely so; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us. Secondly, God is more kind. If all the compassions of all the tender fathers in the world were crowded into the bowels of one, yet compared with the tender mercies of our God, they would be but as a candle to the sun, or a drop to the ocean. God is more rich, and more ready to give to his children than the fathers of our flesh can be; for he is the Father of our spirits, an ever-loving, ever-living Father. The bowels of Fathers yearn even towards undutiful children, towards prodigals, as David's toward Absalom, and will not all this serve to silence disbelief?
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:7-8 This passage teaches persistence in prayer, but Jesus does not teach that God will grant extravagant desires. God’s people are to seek daily provision and spiritual blessing (6:10-11).