Lesson # 11
MATTHEW 7:7-14
PRAYING EFFECTIVELY
I. Introduction:
Today we are going to talk about prayer again. Jesus’ instructions about prayer are not lofty but down-to-earth. He seems to anticipate our practical problems in prayer. In this section, He ties prayer, to our relationships here on earth.
Q Do you know people who do not pray, do you know why?
Q Do you know how many educated people (non-believers) who explain prayer (like Freud)? What are their theories?
Q Do you know people who believe that prayer simply does not work and why?
Q Could you share with us a time when you did not pray for something that was very important in your life?
Note: Quickly, honestly share a couple of times when you did not pray when you should have? Tell them why.
Note: Jesus is going to address some of the reasons we do not pray….
II. Instructions on Prayer: Matthew 7:7-12
>>>> Have someone read Matthew 7:7-8
Q What do you think Jesus is teaching here? What is His main point?
An = He is encouraging us to truly ask for what we want, what we need to find (whether guidance or insight or a certain person) and what we need opened to us either in the way of insight, opportunity, etc. We often really want to know what direction to take in life and want the door of insight to be opened. Whatever your concern, Jesus really wants us to ask, seek and knock!!!!
>>>>> You re-read verse 8.
Q Is this an exact repetition? Where does it differ?
An = The difference is the phrase, “whoever”. Jesus wants all of us to pray, even those who do not think they are worthy to be heard. Remember, what Jesus thinks is important, is repeated. Here are six commands to pray.
Note: There could be another issue here: are these verses true?
Q Has Jesus lied? Has He told the truth? Do we always receive, find and have opened to us what we seek?
Q Why not?
Q Do you think Jesus was aware that this would happen?
Q Did He know these words could wind up causing much doubt or at least frustration?
Q Has God not answered prayers you prayed but now you see why He did not? Could you share some with us?
>>>> Have someone read Matthew 7:9-11
Note: We have another difficult and fairly complex metaphor here, so we should again unpack what the metaphor means before we proceed.
Q Since verse 9 is a rhetorical question asking us to think or ponder about something, what does Jesus want us to ponder?
An = Do good fathers or mothers give cruel gifts. Bread is a reasonable request from the mouth of a child and no father would cruelly give his son a stone. The boy is hungry, he cannot eat a stone.
Q Verse 10 is another rhetorical question, again asking the listener to think or ponder, what does Jesus want His audience to ponder?
An = Again, do fathers give their children cruel gifts. If a child asks for fish (for protein) the father will not give a child something that is not only inedible but would bite and possibly kill him would he? To give your child a snake would be cruel indeed.
Q Jesus is now applying His double (parallel) metaphor or two rhetorical questions in verse 11, so who does the father represent? Who does the child represent?
An = God is represented by the father and we are represented in the metaphor by the child. Now we need to go one step further.
Q What is Jesus telling His audience about God and us?
An = Good fathers, and God is the ultimate Good Father, do not give their children gifts that would harm them.
Q So how does this relate to Jesus teaching on prayer in verses 7-8 and why does He immediately follow His great promises with these three verses?
An = He is wisely qualifying His promise. God would never give us what we ask for in prayer if it would hurt us. We may ask for wealth or health and He might know that would hurt us. Remember Paul? He was one of the most successful ministers with great evangelistic success. Paul healed countless people and had great revelations; he could have so easily drifted into pride. So God “gave” Paul a “thorn in the flesh”. Paul prayed three times for physical healing, and God did answer and the answer was no. The physical illness, whatever it was, kept Paul from pride and kept Paul spiritually safe. Jesus loved Paul and did not want his success as a minister to ruin him.
Q Do you want to add some more examples? Does God know when the fish we are asking for is a snake?
Note: Jesus seems to be boldly encouraging us to ask, seek and knock in verses 7-8, and He is giving us even more reason to be bold in our asking, seeking and knocking. Now we can ask, seek or knock with confidence because if we ask for something or seek for something that would harm us He will filter our prayers. We cannot hurt ourselves when we pray, nor can we hurt anyone else. We can come boldly to the throne of grace! God is intelligent and good. He is not a “force” but a “Person” and persons know how to give good and appropriate gifts to those they love.
Note: One would think the issue of prayer is closed, especially when we read the next verse, but I think Jesus wants us to include verse 12 with the other verses. Let me show my reasoning and you see what you think….
>>>> Have someone read Matthew 7:12
Q Why does Jesus open verse 12 with the word, “therefore” (NASB) (King James), or “so” in (RSV) or (NIV) or (Jerusalem)? (The Greek indicates the word “therefore” or “so” should be there and all good English translations have it.)
RQ Is Jesus seeing verse 12 as a conclusion to what went before this verse?
Q What is Jesus saying in this famous “golden rule”?
An = Treat people like you would like them to treat you. This is key in all of the Old Testament (that is what “the Law and the Prophets” meant in those days). Jesus is saying be aggressive in goodness, not passive. Do not obey because you have to, but obey aggressively because you would like to be treated this way.
Q How does this verse apply to verses 7-11?
An = We should ask, seek and knock in prayer for others in the same way we would like them to do for us. Our prayer life should not just be for ourselves. It should be done aggressively and confidently for others. We would like others to pray for us in the same way we pray for them.
Q Does verse 12 apply to the instructions in verses 1-6, and if so how?
An = We should judge others in the manner we would like to be judged (7:1-2). We should correct others after we have seen our own faults, just like we would like others to do for us (7:3-5). We should correct others with wisdom according to verse 6. We, at times, are like a dog or a pig because we will attack others who correct us. If we are to correct others we need to realize that the same will come back on us. However, we would like to be corrected with care. So we should correct in the manner we would like to be corrected in. We also have to decide if we want to correct them even though we risk being torn apart or harmed by them. Sometimes, like Jesus did with the Pharisees, we should attempt to show them the way to God even though they are close minded, self-righteous religious people. Such people were the ones that killed Jesus (they tore Him apart).
Note: Are the instructions in verses 1-6 and 7-12 tied together?
Q Let me stretch one bit further, does our overly judgmental spirit hinder our prayers?
Q If we stop judging others and judge ourselves would our prayer life be more powerful?
III. Partial Conclusion: Matthew 7:13-14.
Note: The next two verses are on a different agenda. They open with a new commandment. They seem to be both a warning and an encouragement.
>>>> Have someone read Matthew 7:13-14.
Q What is Jesus saying here?
Q What is He saying about the “way to life” that He has been proposing in the last three chapters?
An = It will not be the “majority” path. If you truly follow Jesus, you will be a minority.
Q How do you feel about following a path that is not in the “main spring” of humanity or for that matter the “main path” of even religious people?
Note: One final word about asking in prayer, Jesus says to ask and you will receive. Maybe, we should ask to be shown the beams in our own eyes. It will make us a minority of believers and it will be painful, but we will become helpful to others.