As Jesus brings the Sermon on the Mount toward its conclusion, He turns His attention to a subject every Christian knows well—and yet often struggles with: prayer. Most believers would readily admit that prayer is important, but many also confess that their prayer life is inconsistent or weak. Why is that?
Part of the struggle is simply that prayer requires effort. It demands time, focus, and persistence in a world filled with distractions. I suppose another roadblock is pride. You may not have an outright pride that causes you to believe that you don’t need God. But like me, perhaps you’ve had more than one prayerless day which sort of implies it. And then I think another major source of prayerlessness is unbelief. At its core, a lack of prayer is often a lack of confidence in God’s power and willingness to answer. If we truly believed that prayer works, we would pray far more than we do.
Jesus addresses that very issue in Matthew 7:7–12, giving His followers compelling reasons to pray.
Prayer Works
Jesus begins with a powerful promise: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” These are direct promises from Christ, intended to stir up the faith of his people. Prayer is effective.
The verbs Jesus uses carry the idea of ongoing action. We are to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. There is also a sense of increasing intensity, moving from a simple request to an active pursuit to a persistent knocking. This is not a one-time effort, but a continual, earnest pursuit of God.
An early idea that I believe Jesus wants to get across is that God is not annoyed at our asking. He isn’t hiding so that he can’t be found. His door isn’t locked so that you are denied entrance. He is open, available and willing to hear your prayers.
Prayer Works for Anyone
Jesus goes on to emphasize that this promise is not reserved for a spiritual elite. “Everyone that asketh receiveth.” I love this because it tells me that powerful praying is something that even I can do! Whatever weaknesses or personality flaws; whatever deficiencies of talent or skill…I can still pray. Regardless of whether you hold a ‘big’ position or a ‘small’ one, you can pray. Whether rich, poor, popular or unpopular, educated or no, good-looking or not so much…you can make a difference through prayer.
To help us understand God’s willingness to answer, Jesus uses an illustration practically all of us can understand. What kind of father would give his child a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish? Even imperfect human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more, then, will a perfect heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?
This illustration also provides important boundaries. First, the promise is for God’s children—those who have entered into a relationship with Him. Second, God gives “good gifts.” If my children ask me if they can have candy for dinner, or if they can stay up late and skip school, then my answer is going to be ‘no.’ But if they ask me to help them with homework, or purchase the uniform they need in order to play on their sports team, I don’t know how to tell them ‘no’ for those things.
Prayer Fuels Obedience and Love
At first glance, I could not understand how verse 12—the Golden Rule—was connected to the teaching on prayer. But it is deeply connected. Jesus commands us to treat others as we would want to be treated, a standard that is easy to understand, but not so easy to do.
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus weaves together two dimensions of life: our relationship with God (vertical) and our relationships with others (horizontal). These two are inseparable. Our prayer life affects how we treat others, and our treatment of others affects our prayers (Mt. 6:14-15; 1 Pet. 3:7).
Prayer is like the Golden Key to living out the Golden Rule. When we feel unable to love others as we should—whether in our marriages, families, or even toward difficult people—Jesus has already given us the solution: ask for help. Prayer is the means by which we receive the grace and strength to obey (Heb. 4:16).
Conclusion: Prayer as Spiritual Power
Prayer isn’t just about getting things done. It is the means by which we receive the spiritual energy to follow Christ. It is the fuel that enables us to act like the people he has saved us to be. It is like a corporate credit card, that empowers you to carry out the Master’s business even though you are bankrupt in spirit (Mt. 5:3).
So pray. Ask for the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Ask for help in your relationships, in your struggles, and in your spiritual battles. Seek God’s face. Knock with persistence.
And as you do, believe that your Father hears you—and that He delights in giving His children exactly what they need to follow Him.
