Ask, Seek, Knock: What Jesus Teaches About Prayer in Matthew 7

Have you prayed for something for a long time and wondered if God is still taking your calls? Jesus answers that in Matthew 7 with three words: ask, seek, and knock. Asking is your petition, seeking is your pursuit of God Himself, and knocking is your persistence. All three rest on one truth: God is a good Father who invites you to come.

What does "ask, seek, knock" mean?

Ask, seek, and knock describe three connected parts of prayer: petition, pursuit, and persistence. Jesus closes His teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount with this promise.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7 to 8

Most of us have prayed for healing, provision, or a restored relationship and not seen the answer we hoped for. Pastor Marty Sloan was honest about that. He also reminded us that access to the Father through Jesus Christ is the greatest privilege we have as Christians.

God knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:8). You pray because He personally invites you to, and because He already cares deeply about your situation. Every parent learns to tune out "Mom, Mom, Mom." But God has never once said, "Stop calling Me." As Pastor Marty said, "Prayer always works in us before it works for us."

What does it mean to ask God?

To ask means to request something from someone you already know is able to give it. Pastor Marty has never asked his wife to get something off the top shelf. She asks him, because he can reach it. When you ask God, you're telling Him that you believe He is able.

That makes prayer an act of humility, because you're admitting, "I can't, but God, You can." James puts it bluntly: "You do not have because you do not ask God" (James 4:2). Sometimes the real limitation in our prayer life is our own indifference.

Jesus also ties asking to forgiveness.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Mark 11:24 to 25

If you're holding a grudge against a spouse, a coworker, or a parent, you may be hurting your own prayer life. Before you ask God for anything, make sure your heart is right with Him and with other people.

What does it mean to seek God?

To seek means to search diligently until you find, which goes beyond requests to pursuing God Himself. Pastor Marty put it this way: never be guilty of seeking the gift and not the Giver.

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.

Psalm 27:4

Most people know Jeremiah 29:11 by heart. Keep reading.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:12 to 13

For example, ask a seven-year-old what they want for Christmas, and you'll get a list. Ask your spouse after many years together, and they may say, "I just want time with you." That's what spiritual maturity in prayer looks like. Children ask for gifts. Disciples ask for the Giver. You still bring your needs, but more and more you simply want Him, because if you have Him, you have everything you need.

What does it mean to keep knocking?

Knocking is persistence, the determination that you won't give up until God shows up. You always knock longer when you know someone is home, and God never checks His doorbell camera and decides to ignore you.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1

In that parable, a widow keeps coming to an unjust judge until he grants her justice. If a judge who doesn't fear God responds to persistence, how much more will your Father?

Persistent prayer is continuing to bring the same need to God because you depend on Him. Pastor Marty described it as being honest about your dependence on God. You're saying, "There's no Plan B. I need You." That's why Paul says to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Over time, prayer becomes the rhythm of your whole life.

How should you respond when God's answer isn't what you wanted?

Keep praying on three foundations, because God's character holds up your prayer life.

1. Believe God can

Imperfect parents know how to give good gifts. Jesus asks, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11). Paul says God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Your faith rests on God Himself. "Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

2. Trust His wisdom

God may say yes. He may say no or not yet. He may say, "I have something better."

In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for the cup to pass from Him. Then He added, "Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). Paul begged God to remove his thorn, and God answered, "My grace is sufficient for you." Your faith has to trust God's wisdom even more than His power.

3. Give thanks in all circumstances

Bring your requests honestly, and then praise Him anyway, whatever the answer. Scripture doesn't give you a "get out of jail free" card for the hard answers.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

Notice the order: prayer, petition, thanksgiving, and then peace. Gratitude protects prayer from becoming entitlement. Paul also wrote, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). You give thanks in every circumstance, even the ones you wouldn't give thanks for. For further reading, Pastor Marty recommended The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser, and A Treasury of Prayer by Leonard Ravenhill.

Common questions

What does ask, seek, knock mean in Matthew 7?

In Matthew 7:7 to 8, Jesus invites His followers to pray with confidence. Asking is bringing your requests to God, seeking is pursuing God Himself, and knocking is persisting in prayer. Each one rests on the character of God as a good and generous Father.

Why pray if God already knows what I need?

Matthew 6:8 says your Father knows what you need before you ask. You pray because He invites you to, and because prayer builds your relationship with Him. Prayer transforms you, even before your circumstances change.

Why hasn't God answered my prayer?

God may be saying no, not yet, or that He has something better. Jesus in Gethsemane and Paul with his thorn both received answers they didn't ask for. Keep praying persistently, trust His wisdom, and give thanks in every situation.

Does unforgiveness affect prayer?

Jesus connects them in Mark 11:25. He tells you to forgive anyone you hold something against when you pray. Keeping your heart right with other people is part of keeping it right with God.