Three Steps To Answered Prayer

Matthew 7:7-11 Three Steps to Answered Prayer

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

I. THE PRINCIPLE OF ASKING Ask, and it shall be given you...

The Greek word means to beg or to crave. asking is serious, humble and dependent.

(a) The Principle of prayer. ASK - ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:2)

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

(b) The Proof of prayer. "Ask... seek... knock."

These three words are in the imperative mood which indicates a command.

(c) The Priority of prayer. Being a command, prayer takes on a very high priority.

Prayer is not to be a optional experience in life.

The blind man called out to Jesus by the way, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

When Jesus asked him his need, he said, Lord, that I might receive my sight...

Peter, when sinking beneath the waves, said Lord, save me.

II. THE PRINCIPLE OF ABIDING seek, and ye shall find

The second great principle of answered prayer is to seek.

This word means to find out by thinking, meditating,and reasoning; to inquire into.

God continually calls on His people to seek Him in His fullness.

Jesus expounded on this condition of continual seeking in the Gospel of John. it is "abiding."

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

To abide in the Vine (in Christ) is a threefold proposition.

We abide in Him in relationship to place, time and condition.

We abide with Him wherever He is, all the time, and in whatever condition we find ourselves.

Notice verse 7: If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Twelve Great Lessons of John Chapter 15 Verses 1-8

1. God is the husbandman (Jn. 15:1). 2. Christ is the vine (Jn. 15:1,5).

3. Believers are the branches in Christ (Jn. 15:2,5).

4. Every fruitless branch "in me" is cut off, withered, gathered with other dead branches and cast into the fire and burned (Jn. 15:2,6).

5. Every fruitful branch "in me" is purged that it might be more fruitful (Jn. 15:2,5).

6. Every branch "in me" is clean (pure in heart by the Word if walking in the light).

7. Branches must "abide in" Christ and Christ in them to produce fruit (Jn. 15:4-5).

8. The branch is helpless to produce fruit of itself (Jn. 15:4-5).

9. Christ is helpless to produce fruit through the branch unless it remains in Him (4-6).

10. Branches must abide in Christ or be cut off and burned (Jn. 15:6).

11. Branches must not only remain in Christ but must have His words abiding in them or prayers will not be answered (Jn. 15:7).

12. God can only be glorified by the branches when they remain in Christ and produce much fruit

III. THE PRINCIPLE OF ANTICIPATING knock, and it shall be opened unto you

Our last principle deals with "knocking." It means to literally knock on a door.

It is the same word, used in Revelation 3:20 when Jesus says Behold, I stand at the door and knock... To knock on a door is to anticipate an answer.

We knock because we seek entry; we desire to have dealings with someone inside. There is a sense of expectation, or anticipating, in knocking. Simply, there is faith. Jesus commanded us to have faith in God. How is it that you have no faith?

1 John. 5:14, 15;

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.