Ask, Seek, Knock: A Prayer Life That Pursues God
The Sermon on the Mount: Lesson 16
Welcome, and thank you for joining me today as we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount. In today’s lesson, we come to Matthew 7:7-11, a passage filled with immense comfort and encouragement for anyone who’s ever felt the need to draw near to God in prayer. Here, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father’s readiness to receive us when we ask, seek, and knock. But these verses are about more than just “getting what we want”- they reveal the heart of a gracious Father who delights in giving what is best to his children. Let’s explore this invitation to persistent, trusting prayer, and what it truly means to pray as Kingdom people.
An Invitation to Persistent, Dependent Prayer
In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus commands, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” These aren’t one-time requests, but ongoing actions. The Greek verbs used here are present imperatives, which suggest continuous and persistent prayer: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
This isn’t a vending machine model of prayer, where we insert our request and receive exactly what we asked for. Instead, Jesus is inviting us into a relationship marked by trust, dependence, and perseverance. We come to our Father not only because we need something, but because we know him to be good. As John Chrysostom once preached, “Do not show less eagerness for virtue than desire for possessions. For you frequently sought possessions but did not find them … Yet even though in this case you have a promise that you surely will receive, you do not even demonstrate the smallest fraction of that same eagerness.”
To ask is to come in humility, aware of our need. To seek is to pursue - actively engaging in God’s will and aligning our hearts with his. To knock is to persevere, especially when the door seems closed. This echoes Jesus’ earlier teaching in Matthew 6:10: “Your will be done.” God answers not according to our wants, but according to his perfect wisdom.
A “How Much More” Promise
Jesus continues, “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” (vv. 9-10). The examples are deliberately absurd - a parent would never intentionally give something deceptive or harmful to a hungry child. Even fallen human parents know how to provide for their children.
And so Jesus concludes with a classic “how much more” argument: “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!” (v. 11). He is not a distant or indifferent deity. He’s a Father - perfect in wisdom, compassion, and generosity.
Romans 8:32 captures the same heart: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Importantly, Jesus doesn’t promise that we’ll always receive what we asked for in the way we expect. But he does promise that the Father will always give what is good, and he alone defines what is truly good.
Bible Study Questions
What do the verbs “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” in verses 7-8 imply about our posture in prayer?
How does this passage connect to Jesus’ earlier teaching in Matthew 6:9-10?
Why does Jesus compare prayer to a parent giving food to a hungry child (vv. 9-10)?
What does the “how much more” argument in verse 11 teach us about God’s character?
How does Romans 8:32 reinforce the truth of God’s generosity?
Why is persistence in prayer important, even when answers are delayed?
What dangers arise when we treat this passage as a promise to get whatever we want?
How can we grow in trusting God’s definition of what is “good”?
In what ways can seeking God involve more than just prayer?
How does this passage encourage those who feel weary or discouraged in prayer?
Questions for Discussion and Personal Reflection
When have you experienced the faithfulness of God in answering your prayers?
What are some reasons we might stop praying or lose heart in seeking God?
How does viewing God as Father change the way you approach him in prayer?
Are there areas of your life where you’ve been asking, seeking, or knocking? What have you learned?
How do you respond when God’s answer is different from what you hoped for?
What spiritual disciplines can help you persist in prayer with hope?
Have you ever asked for something that you later realized wasn’t truly good for you?
How do you discern the difference between selfish desires and God-honoring requests?
How can you encourage others in your community to pursue God persistently in prayer?
What does it look like for your prayer life to reflect both reverence and intimacy?
Action Steps
Set aside a focused time each day to ask God for specific needs in your life and the lives of others, remembering his promise to hear.
Track the things you’re asking, seeking, and knocking for. Reflect regularly on how God has responded, even in unexpected ways.
Choose one long-standing prayer request that you’ve grown weary of lifting up to God. This week, bring it before him each day, trusting his timing and goodness.
Closing Thoughts
In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus invites us to approach our Heavenly Father with confidence, not confidence in ourselves, but in his character. We aren’t orphans guessing at the will of a distant deity; we’re beloved children asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of a good and generous Father. So don’t give up. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. And trust that your Father knows exactly what you need and delights to give good gifts to those who ask him.
Thank you for joining me today. My hope is that you were encouraged and blessed by reflecting on this passage. You can discover more devotionals, Bible studies, and other resources by clicking here: Walking Points. If you found this study helpful, please consider sharing it with others and encouraging them to subscribe as well.