01.04.2026. Sunday Sermon
Rev. Jeungbok Lee
Text: Matthew 7:7–11
Title: God the Father Who Gives Good Things to Those Who Ask
Matthew 7:7–11
“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?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
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!”
In 2026, I hope our church will become a praying church.
As we welcome the new year, what prayer topics do you have? I hope this year will be a year of prayer for you, and I encourage you to review your prayer topics throughout this week. I pray that the content of your prayers will be pleasing to God. Please try to organize your prayer list well—classifying it into prayers for the church, the nation, the family, and your own spiritual growth. In doing so, may you receive all that you ask of God the Father as good gifts.
Now I will deliver today’s message.
God the Father has many means by which He blesses His children. Among these means of grace, the one that is most intimate with us and available anytime and anywhere is prayer. However, many believers misunderstand this precious means of grace, prayer, using it not as a channel to follow God’s will but as a tool to accomplish their own will. Today’s passage corrects this misunderstanding and helps us offer prayers that are fitting to the heart of God the Father.
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1. The role of Matthew 7:7–11 within the Sermon on the Mount
1.1) This passage teaches that disciples who desire to obey the Sermon on the Mount must first live within a relationship of trust with God the Father.
Today’s message is not a prosperity message that says, “If you pray, God will give you everything.” Rather, it first reminds us that our Father in heaven is the One who hears our petitions. Jesus makes it clear that God the Father delights in giving good things to His children. Even in moments when disciples suffer hardship and difficulty while following the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, those who can still make such petitions are living in confident assurance within a trusting relationship with their heavenly Father.
Therefore, those who trust the heavenly Father and pray can enjoy true joy through the good things the Father gives.
1.2) Jesus teaches that prayer is the direct means by which disciples receive help when they realize they cannot fully obey the Sermon on the Mount on their own.
The teachings of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave are extremely high ethical standards for the disciples. For example, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees” (5:20), “love your enemies” (5:44), or telling disciples who had no money or food to carry, “do not be anxious about anything” (6:25)—these were truly difficult commands to obey. In chapter 7, the command “do not judge” is also hard to keep, because in difficult situations it is natural to blame others. Furthermore, discernment is required not to throw what is holy to dogs or pearls before pigs.
Jesus knew that all these commands were impossible for the disciples to practice by their own effort and training alone. Therefore, the disciples needed a means of help to live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. That means of grace is prayer—“asking, seeking, and knocking” before the Father in heaven.
1.3) We also must pray in order to carry out the will of God.
Whether the church engages in missions or charitable work, wisdom is required. What was appropriate in the past may no longer be a priority now. The same is true when seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God’s kingdom and God’s will are invisible. Wisdom from God is also needed when running the church—loving one another, building each other up, and sometimes exercising discipline.
Individually as well, wisdom and spiritual discernment are needed when sharing the gospel, practicing charity, or serving in the workplace. People of the world often try to take advantage of those who help rather than simply seeing them as good people. Therefore, Christians must be revealed to the world as those who possess God’s wisdom, not as foolish people. Thus, we must “ask, seek, and knock” to receive wisdom from God the Father so that we may become wise.
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2. Correcting common misunderstandings about prayer in Matthew 7:7–11
You have probably often heard sermons urging people to pray very aggressively for whatever they want, based on the imperative words “ask, seek, knock.” However, the claim that Matthew 7:7–11 is the secret to answered prayer is incorrect. Nevertheless, many sermons and Bible studies teach prayer in this way.
The most basic principle of biblical interpretation is to understand a passage within its context. We must identify to whom the words are addressed and what intention they carry within the flow of the passage. Therefore, it is incorrect to take today’s teaching on prayer out of the context of the Sermon on the Mount and apply it directly to ourselves. Application must come only after interpreting the text according to its context.
I still remember that a former pastor’s wife in our church prayed very frequently. She gathered young adults for prayer meetings and also held nightly prayer meetings at 10 p.m. with believers she knew personally. I participated in that prayer meeting for about a year. The problem was that over time the prayer meetings became burdensome and joy began to fade. This was because she interpreted and taught the Scripture shared before prayer in an incorrect way.
She viewed prayer as the key to entering a heavenly treasure storehouse, claiming that only those who prayed—especially those who prayed loudly and in tongues—could access it. As evidence, she cited today’s passage: “Ask, seek, knock, and you will receive, find, and the door will be opened.” She regarded prayer as a means to obtain what she wanted. This is a misunderstanding of prayer.
Today’s passage follows Jesus’ teaching on judgment and spiritual discernment. More broadly, it was meant to help disciples receive God’s grace so they could obey the Sermon on the Mount. In other words, the reason Jesus commanded disciples to “ask, seek, and knock” was so that by drawing closer to God the Father, they would be enabled to practice the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.
What is clear is that those who “ask, seek, and knock” are humble people who deeply recognize their own inability and insufficiency. Therefore, this passage was not given to teach people how to open a heavenly storehouse to gain treasures.
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3. Explanation of the commands about prayer in today’s passage
“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 7:7–8)
3.1) The verbs “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” are all present imperatives.
These commands are written in the present tense to teach disciples who trust and desire to obey God the Father not to stop praying for their own deficiencies. It is certain that the Father will give good things to those who persist in such prayer. Those who receive these good things will be able to obey God’s Word and experience satisfaction through the joy that comes from obedience.
In real-life situations, however, when difficulties arise, we often pray unconditionally for God to fix the problem without considering His will in that situation. Thankfully, as we bring our problems to God and continue to “ask, seek, and knock,” the Holy Spirit guides us to increasingly discern God’s will. As we better understand God’s will, our relationship with God the Father deepens, enabling us to continue praying with greater confidence.
Therefore, the command to keep asking is not intended to fill time until we obtain what we want, but to invite us continually to come before and meet our Father in heaven through prayer. Through this, not only the disciples but also we who pray are led to greater assurance of God’s will and deeper joy within a growing relationship with our good Father.
3.2) These commands describe prayer for receiving good things from God.
First, “ask.”
Those who ask must clearly recognize that they possess nothing. This means asking God the Father for help with humility. A passive attitude—“It’s fine if You give, and fine if You don’t”—does not fit the command to ask. Those who ask must have the conviction that they can live only if God, the source of all blessings, gives to them.
The confession “There is no way anywhere in this world for me to overcome my weakness and obey God’s Word apart from God’s help” is what it means to “ask.” Those who ask with this posture will be fully satisfied by the good things given by the Father, the source of all blessings. Even during times of God’s silence, they will not stop seeking help from the good God, knowing they have nothing apart from Him.
Therefore, we must be those who ask God with humility. Only such people will enjoy joy through God the Father who gives good things. If your prayers are not continuing, examine your heart and adopt a humble posture, acknowledging that your help comes only from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Second, “seek.”
Those who seek must actively and earnestly continue searching for God’s will. In daily life, when we search for something, we do not stop after one attempt—we keep looking until we find it. Why do we persist? Because we are confident that what we seek exists somewhere.
If we do not stop searching based on our own memory, how much more should we not stop seeking God, who delights in giving good things to His children? To stop seeking God in prayer reveals a lack of confidence in Him. Those who seek are those who are confident that God will surely give good things.
Third, “knock.”
Until they receive an answer, God’s children must patiently continue knocking at the door of prayer. Then the good Father will open the door. Those who knock do so with confidence that God the Father will open it.
Jeremiah 29:12–13 says, “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.” Those who are confident that God will give good things maintain a firm posture of “asking, seeking, and knocking.”
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4. Jesus emphasizes how good God is in prayer
“Will not your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?” Jesus emphasizes this truth.
4.1) A comparison and contrast between human parental love and God the Father’s love
Even though parents may be evil, they still try to give good things to their children. In Jesus’ time, food was scarce, but when a child asked for bread, a parent would not give a stone instead. This was not an era of pranks for entertainment, like giving fake bread on YouTube. Nor would a parent give a snake when a child asked for fish.
Jesus argues that if human parents love their children this much, how much more will God—infinitely better than human parents—give good things to His children? This is a confident declaration: if even evil parents know how to give good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to His children who ask?
Thus, what enables us to ask, seek, and knock in prayer is God’s goodness. Confidence in God’s goodness becomes the driving force that keeps us praying, assured that He will give good things to His children.
4.2) Our Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask.
What are these good things? In Luke 11:13, the parallel passage, Jesus identifies them as the Holy Spirit. However, we cannot conclude that the “good things” in Matthew 7 are only the Holy Spirit. In Luke, the teaching on prayer occurs in the context of persistent prayer, emphasizing that God gives the Holy Spirit, who encompasses all good gifts.
Through the Spirit, disciples understand Jesus more deeply, receive spiritual gifts, and gain wisdom to understand God’s Word. That is why Luke emphasizes the Holy Spirit. Matthew, on the other hand, presents a broader and more comprehensive view of the good things that shape the life of God’s children—seeking His kingdom and righteousness, living free from anxiety, exercising proper judgment, and discerning how to share the gospel. These are relational blessings manifested in the lives of God’s children.
Children who receive good things from the Father will not live in anxiety. They will love their enemies and refrain from hypocritical judgment. Those who receive the good things given by the Father will overflow with peace and joy. Their faith will grow, their relationship with God will deepen, and they will be filled with joy through obedience to the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.
This is why God the Father gives good things to those who ask.
4.3) However, what is good is determined by God, not by our own standards.
Our good Father gives us what is best, but we may not recognize it as good and may mistakenly think He has not answered our prayers. Therefore, when it seems that our prayers are unanswered, we should pause and reflect on what good things God may have already intended to give us. Sometimes unanswered prayer itself is the good thing, or perhaps the answer comes later because that timing is better for us.
Taking time to reflect on what God has given us as good helps us discover gratitude and benefit. Without such reflection, we may fail to recognize what we have received and become ungrateful despite having received from God.
In other cases, what we ask for may not be good in God’s eyes, so He may not give it. For example, even if a first-year high school student asks daily for a car, parents will not buy one or give car keys. When the child reaches an appropriate age, they may give both. Similarly, a kindergarten child who wants a real gun after watching a movie will not be given one because it would be harmful.
One of the saddest news stories I encountered in the U.S. was about a kindergarten-aged child who died after accidentally being shot while playing with a handgun. The parents likely never intended for their children to play with a gun, because it became a tool of death. God gives good things to His children who ask, seek, and knock—but He does not give indiscriminately.
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5. Conclusion
Today’s teaching on prayer is not a tool for fulfilling personal desires, but a means of grace through which we seek wisdom and power from the Father to live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Those who ask must acknowledge their inability to obey God’s Word and approach Him with humility. Asking is not merely about getting what we want.
Continual prayer for the Father’s grace deepens our relationship with God and transforms trust into firm assurance. Confidence in God’s goodness keeps us praying, even when His silence feels long. Ultimately, God the Father gives good things to those who ask. Those who receive these good things will be filled with joy through the power to obey.
We must clearly understand, however, that God’s good may not align with our desires. Because God is good and wise, He gives what is best in His sight—whether immediately, later, or in a different form. It is certain that God always gives what is best at the most appropriate time.
Prayer is the means of grace through which we receive good things from God the Father. How foolish it would be not to pray. In 2026, I urge you in the name of the Lord to become believers who pray.
Let us pray.
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