- The call to prayer (v.7)
- Two reasons or motivations to pray confidently (vv.8-11)
- God answers our prayers (v.8)
- God loves to answer our prayers (vv.9-11)
Summary: In Matt. 7:7-11 Jesus sounds a call to prayer (v.7) followed by two motivations (vv.8-11) for heeding such a call. Out of everything that the Scriptures teach about prayer, no truth is more foundational to prayer than the inspiring fact that our Father in heaven loves to give good gifts to His children (vv.9-11). If we really grasp this truth both in our heads and in our hearts, then we will be confident that God will answer our prayers (v.8). And if we are confident that God will answer our prayers, then we will have all the motivation we need to heed this call to prayer (v.7).
Discussion Questions:
- What implied answer does Jesus expect when asking His rhetorical questions in vv.9-10?
- Compare Jesus' "lesser to greater" argument in v.11 with similar arguments made in 6:26 & 20. Then try to explain His reasoning in your own words.
- What effect should the fact that God loves to give good things to His children have on our relationship with God? On our prayer lives? On our doubts?
- Does God give His children anything they ask for without exception? Explain.
- What are some biblical reasons we experience so-called "unanswered prayer"(cf. Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; 15:7,16; 16:23,24; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15)?
- In Jesus's call to prayer (v.7), how do the commands "ask," "seek," and "knock" relate to one another? What can this teach us about the nature of prayer?
Application Questions:
- At what level has the truth that God loves to give good gifts to me become real to my heart?
- How has this teaching helped me to think about so-called "unanswered prayer"?
- What "good things" is my Father calling me to ask for and seek after?
Prayer Points:
- Praise God for His fatherly affection toward you and His intense inclination to do good to you
- Confess to God any unbelief or doubt you have in your heart, especially concerning prayer
- Ask God to help you feel His fatherly affection and to motivate you to ask, seek, and knock
