Jesus had previously given some instruction on prayer. He told us not to use prayer to put on a show and not to babble, repeating phrases over and over. He also gave us a model of prayer.
Here Jesus encouraged prayer by making some wonderful promises. He talks about it in three ways. He says to ask, seek, and knock. He is talking about praying to our Heavenly Father, as we see in verse 11.
All three of these examples tell us God hears our prayers and answers. When we ask, what we need will be given to us. God wants us to ask. James says “You do not have because you do not ask”. (James 4:2)
Jesus also said “seek and you will find”. If you seek a deeper walk with God, you will find it through prayer. God told the Jews in exile “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. (Jeremiah 29:12)
Jesus also said knock and it will be opened to you. I do not always open my door when someone knocks or rings the bell. If I see it is a sales person, I do not open it. But, no matter what time it is, if the one knocking is one of my daughters, I always open, give her a hug, and invite her into the house for a visit. Similarly, God always responds when his child seeks fellowship with him.
The premise behind Jesus’ statement is that God is good. There are many scriptures that tell us this. Psalm 34:8 says “Oh, last and see that the LORD is good!” Psalm 100:5 says “For the LORD is good”. Nahum 1:7 also says “The LORD is good”. Psalm 119:68 says “You are good and do good”.
Because God is good, he answers the prayers of his people with good things. James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights”.
Jesus showed God’s goodness by making a comparison to human parents. If your son asks for bread, you do not give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, you do not give him a snake. So, if we who are evil (original sin) give our children good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father, who is good, give good things to his children who ask him.
Romans 8:32 says “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?” If God is so good he would send his Son and sacrifice him so that we can be saved, why would we think he will deprive us of the things we need?
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