October 17, 2019

Being Bold in Our Prayer Lives

Matthew 7:1–14

Jordan Quinten
Thursday's Devo

October 17, 2019

Thursday's Devo

October 17, 2019

Central Truth

In the Psalms, David tells us that when we delight in God, He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). In Matthew 7, we see that what we want may not always be what we need, but when we pray within God's will, our requests will be answered.

Key Verse | Matthew 7:7-8

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

Matthew 7:1–14

Judging Others

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 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!

The Golden Rule

12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy 1 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Footnotes

[1] 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy

Dive Deeper | Matthew 7:1–14

Prayer is one of the most important components in having a relationship with God. Through prayer, we show God our dependence on Him and invite Him into the deepest parts of our hearts. At times, it's easy to feel as if our requests are too big or even too small to be important enough to bother God with, but that's when we're wrong. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to be direct in our pursuit of what we want in life (Matthew 7:7-8). 

Matthew 7:7 tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you . . . knock, and it will be opened to you."

In certain times in our lives, that statement may seem bold and out of reach. However, just as that statement may be bold, Jesus is calling us to be bold in what we ask. God invites us to ask freely of Him, but, more importantly, He wants us to align our hearts with His will and Word.

Matthew 7:8 adds: "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Another bold statement from Jesus.

In my life, there have been so many times when I've read this verse and thought, "Lord, I'm faithfully asking, I'm seeking, but You're not giving me what I want." As time passes and situations play out in God's will, it never fails that what He had planned was better than what I was asking for. In a world full of self-sufficiency, it can feel difficult to fully depend on Him. That's why it is so important to turn to His Word and look at Matthew 7:7-8 as truth to live by. Be bold in your prayer life and never be afraid to ask God for the things that align with His will and Word. There is no such request that is too big or too small in His eyes.

Discussion Questions

1. In Matthew 7:7-8, the disciples are told to ask, seek, and knock. What do these three words have in common? How are they different from one another?

2. How would your prayer life change if you were bolder in what you asked?

3. In what ways can you ask, seek, and knock more in your walk with the Lord?

4. What do you think Jesus stresses in this passage? How would you put it in your own words?

5. Is anything getting in the way of you asking, seeking, and knocking? If yes, what can you do to combat it?