Matthew 7:8

Monday, 3 February 2025

 

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8

 

“For all ‘the asking’ he receives, and ‘the seeking’ he finds, and ‘the knocking’ he will have opened” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus said, “You ask, and it will be given you. You seek, and you will find. You knock, and it will be opened to you.” Now, He explains why this should be done, beginning with, “For all ‘the asking’ he receives.”

 

The words of this verse, as with the words of the previous verse, must be taken as conditional and the context must be considered. It would be presumptuous to assume that God is going to just hand out everything that people ask for. It must be that the requests are in accord with His word, His nature, and His will.

 

However, the one asking is assured that God will give what is asked for if it meets these and any other necessary requirements. Jesus next says, “and ‘the seeking’ he finds.”

 

The person has prayed for the discernment and wisdom necessary to be in accord with God’s will, from there, he seeks out what he is looking for. After that Jesus says, “and ‘the knocking’ he will have opened.”

 

The process is complete in this. The first step, that of acknowledging through prayer that God’s hand in a matter is needed. The second step is to acknowledge that with God’s hand, we will put in our effort to seek out what is necessary for the goal to be accomplished. The third step is to have opened (as implied by knocking for access) to us what has been set forth and then searched out.

 

Life application: Jesus’ words cannot be taken as a carte blanche approval by God of getting everything one wants. As noted above, requests must be in accord with His word, His nature, and His will.

 

If a man were to request God to allow him to find a husband, that would not be in accord with any of the three. If he were to ask for a wife, that would be acceptable according to the first two, but maybe not in accord with His will for that person.

 

If someone were to ask for a particular wife, it would be illogical to assume he would be given her if another person asked to marry the same woman and God had already set the plans for that in motion.

 

As can be seen from just these few basic examples, what Jesus says in these verses is not what they appear to say on the surface. And yet, it is not uncommon for people to use what Jesus says almost as a talisman for good fortune at every turn.

 

The problem with holding such a position, or someone teaching such things, is that dissatisfaction will inevitably set in and a feeling that the word cannot be trusted will also arise. And this results because people are not willing to think through what is said, much less check the greater context of whatever is being conveyed.

 

Jesus is speaking of spiritual matters and issues that involve interactions between others and between people and God. To go beyond that is to expect something that is not what is being referred to. Be sure to remember the context before you form a pretext.

 

Lord God, thank You that we can come to You and lay our petitions before You. We know that You hear and respond to prayer when it is in accord with Your word. Therefore, may our prayers reflect Your will so that they will not be hindered when we bring them before You. Amen.