Notice how Jesus mentions “good gifts” – not bad gifts – here. In Matthew 7, right after promising that “… everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (verse 8) Jesus uses the imagery of a father and son to make a point about what true generosity looks like: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (verses 9-12). Rather than approaching God with requests transactionally, you should approach God relationally for the best results. God is your heavenly Father, so he answers your prayers in the context of a relationship with you. God is much more than a cosmic vending machine into which you can insert a code and then see your desired results drop into a slot. What Jesus means connects to the relationship that he invites you to enjoy with him. So, what did Jesus really mean by promising that if you ask, you will receive? The real meaning runs deeper than it appears at first. What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said, “Ask and You Shall Receive”? For example, if you want an expensive sports car, you can pray for it with the utmost sincerity, over and over, and still not see that car appear in your driveway if God knows it’s not best to grant that particular request. No matter how much you may desire something, you can’t convince God to give it to you simply by praying. Try it and you’ll see that you can’t simply make something you want appear in your life just because you ask for it in prayer. People who assume the “ask and you shall receive” verses promise that they can name whatever they want and then claim it (an attitude that is sometimes known as the prosperity gospel) will soon find out that approach doesn’t work. It’s not that God doesn’t want to bless you it’s that he wants to do so in ways that are truly best for you. Interpreting the “ask and you shall receive” verses like a magical guarantee of getting anything you want will only leave you disappointed. That’s not a correct interpretation of what Jesus is saying, though. On the surface, those verses may seem to be assuring you that you can ask Jesus to give you anything you want and then be guaranteed to receive it. How Are Those Verses Used in the Wrong Way? The quote “ask and you shall receive” is a paraphrase of what Jesus says in the King James Version of John 16:24: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Several other Bible verses quote Jesus saying something similar. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says: “Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 21:22 records Jesus saying: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” In Mark 11:24, Jesus declares: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Luke 11:9 features Jesus saying: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you.” Finally, in John 15:7, Jesus promises: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Where Is “Ask and You Shall Receive” Found in the Bible? Once you learn what “ask and you shall receive” means, you can welcome blessings into your life with gratitude, knowing that Jesus will respond to your requests according to what’s best. But what is the meaning of that phrase? Can it really be that all you need to do is simply ask Jesus for whatever you want, and then expect to receive it – no matter what you’re asking for? The context of that statement Jesus makes in the Bible is important to understand. Jesus encourages you to ask and you shall receive.
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