Interpreting Matthew 7:7-11 On Prayer And Provision
Matthew 7:7-11 presents Jesus' teaching on prayer, emphasizing persistence and God's benevolent provision: "Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" [1]. This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, specifically within a section that addresses various aspects of discipleship, including judgment, discerning false prophets, and the nature of true righteousness.
The instruction to "ask, seek, and knock" is understood as a call to persistent prayer [2, 3]. John Gill notes that this refers to asking God in prayer for needs, whether temporal, such as food and clothing, or spiritual, like grace and wisdom [4]. Matthew Henry further explains that prayer is the "appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts" Jesus had just given [3]. The repetition of the command in three forms—ask, seek, knock—underscores the importance of sincerity, seriousness, and constancy in prayer [3].
The passage continues by illustrating God's willingness to give good gifts: "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 give him a serpent? 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!" [1]. This analogy highlights God's character as a loving Father who surpasses human parents in generosity and goodness [2]. The implication is that if imperfect human fathers provide for their children, a perfect heavenly Father will certainly provide for those who ask Him [4].
However, interpreters note that this promise is not a blank check for extravagant desires [2]. Instead, it relates to seeking daily provision and spiritual blessings [2]. John Gill clarifies that receiving what is asked for is contingent on asking "according to the will of God, in the name of Christ, and under the direction, guidance, and influence of the Spirit," with faith and submission to divine will [4]. Thomas Aquinas, addressing potential errors regarding prayer, argued against the idea that prayer is superfluous due to divine predestination, asserting that Scripture encourages prayer as a means to attain salvation [5, 6]. Calvin also emphasizes that believers approach God through Christ as Mediator, confident that requests made in His name will not be denied [7].
Sources
- Matthew ““Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. -- Matthew 7:7”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 7:7: 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).”
- Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:7: 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”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 7:7: 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, sha”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), Of Predestination, Art. 8: Article: Whether predestination can be furthered by the prayers of the saints? I answer that, Concerning this question, there were different errors. Some, regarding the certainty of divine predestination, said that prayers were superfluous, as also anything else done to attain salvation; because whether these things were done or not, the predestined would attain, and the reprobate would not attain, eternal salvation. But against this opinion are all the warnings of Holy Scripture, exhorting us to prayer and other go”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Prayer, Art. 2: Article: Whether it is becoming to pray? I answer that, Among the ancients there was a threefold error concerning prayer. Some held that human affairs are not ruled by Divine providence; whence it would follow that it is useless to pray and to worship God at all: of these it is written (Malach. 3:14): "You have said: He laboreth in vain that serveth God." Another opinion held that all things, even in human affairs, happen of necessity, whether by reason of the unchangeableness of Divine providence,”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: forward in his own name, and appear in the presence of God, our heavenly Father, to relieve us at once from fear and shame, with which all must feel oppressed, 472 472 French, “Confusion que nous avons, ou devons avoir en nousmesmes;”—confusion which we have, or ought to have, in ourselves. has given us his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to be our Advocate and Mediator, that under his guidance we may approach securely, confiding that with him for our Intercessor nothing which we ask in his name will be denied to us, as there is nothin”