A good parent will not say “yes” to every single request given by their child. After all, choosing to say “yes” to a child’s every request will leave that child entitled at best and seriously injured at worst. As our Heavenly Father, the same is true for God. He will not answer every prayer with “yes.” That is because His knowledge is limitless. He knows far more than we do. Sometimes, He responds with “no” or “wait.” The question is, will we trust Him even when He does not respond to our prayers as we hope?
In Matthew 7, Jesus reminds us to remember God’s care and provision. In this passage, Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (verse 7). In other words, Jesus is encouraging us in this passage of Scripture to pray persistently. Next, He explained why, saying, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?” (verse 10). Now, the stones that surrounded everyone in Jesus’ day were flat, and they resembled pita bread. By asking that question, Jesus challenged readers to consider how good parents provide for and care for their children’s needs without teasing them and pretending to offer something good, like bread, when it is really just a stone. Jesus continued, saying, “Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake?” (verse 10). Jesus answered these questions, saying, “Of course not!” (verse 10). Then, He provided his main point for asking these questions: “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (verse 11). Now, the truth that God gives good gifts does not mean that God will give us everything that we want. As we talked about earlier, sometimes God answers with “No” or “Wait,” as any good parent responds to their children’s requests, because He knows what we truly need even more than we do.
Our perfect Heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts. Will we trust Him? Do we trust that He is taking care of us as our perfect Heavenly Father? Take a look at His past provision and care for you, and you will be reminded that your Heavenly Father is worthy of your trust.
Set a 30-second timer. In those 30 seconds, write down some of the ways God has provided and taken care of you. After the timer dings, pray, thank God for how He takes care of you as your Heavenly Father, and ask Him to help you trust Him when it comes to your prayers that have not been answered how you hoped.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Effective Prayer
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
The Golden Rule
12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
The Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
True Disciples
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
Building on a Solid Foundation
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
