“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
(Matthew 7:11)
In the context of Christ’s great sermon to His disciples, He gave them the model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), teaching them to call upon their Father in heaven with reverence and worship. And here in Matthew 7, He continues to urge them toward earnest, continuous communion with God through prayer. The verbs He uses—“ask,” “seek,” and “knock”—are all in the present tense, conveying persistence: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. He desires His disciples to grasp not merely the content of prayer, but the posture of perseverance in prayer.
This appeal is anchored in the benevolent character of God. Earthly fathers, though fallen and evil by nature, know how to care for their children and provide for their needs. How much more, then, will the perfect and holy Father in heaven give good things to those who approach Him with earnest, believing petitions?
In Luke’s account of this same teaching (Luke 11:13), the phrase “good things” is rendered more specifically as “the Holy Spirit.” This variation unveils the heart of Christ’s promise: that the Father delights to give not only temporal blessings, but the very source of all spiritual blessings… the Spirit Himself. The gift of the Spirit encompasses daily cleansing, inward guidance, spiritual strength, and divine comfort. When believers pray for such graces, they ask according to God’s will, and He is pleased to answer.
This truth is reinforced elsewhere in Scripture. Proverbs 15:8 declares, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” The upright are those made righteous by grace through faith. Their prayers, though broken and imperfect, are a sweet sound in the ear of their heavenly Father. The believer’s voice, heard from the “clefts of the rock” and “the secret place of the stairs” (Song of Solomon 2:14), is lovely to God, and He longs to hear it.
As loving parents receive joy from the requests of their children, so the Lord, infinitely more tender and gracious, receives joy from the supplications of His saints. The Father’s heart is moved by the prayers of those He has loved from eternity. He chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He purchased them with the blood of His Son. He has covenanted to be their God, to guard and keep them forever. He delights to bless them as a Father who finds pleasure in doing good to His own.
Nathaniel Vincent wrote, “If God has done all these things for you as a believer, surely then, He will heed you when you pray to Him; He will give you the good you need, and save you from the evil which makes you run to Him for shelter.”[1]
Because He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will certainly with Him also freely give us all things (Romans 8:32), let the believer pray in faith, asking for more of the Spirit, more holiness, more strength to walk uprightly. For such requests find favor with God; they are His delight.
Contemplations:
- God Delights in My Prayers. I often wonder if my prayers are heard, especially when they feel weak or repetitive. But Scripture reminds me that my prayers, though imperfect, are a delight to God because I come to Him in Christ. He welcomes my voice, and this truth encourages my heart. I should not hesitate or grow weary in seeking Him, but pray with the confidence that He longs to give good gifts to His children.
- Persistent Prayer Is Commanded. I am too quick to give up in prayer. Jesus taught persistence in prayer, a continual seeking and knocking. This calls me to examine whether I truly trust the Lord’s timing. If He commands me to persevere, I must believe that He has appointed not only the blessing, but also the means of continual prayer through which it comes.
- My Requests Must Be Spiritual. It is sobering to consider that while God gives daily bread and cares for my temporal needs, His greatest delight is when I ask for spiritual blessings such as cleansing, holiness, and spiritual maturity. These are the prayers that please Him most. I am guilty of praying for comfort more than for conformity to Christ. I want to better align my requests with what truly glorifies Him.
- Prayer Rests on God’s Covenant. I want to be reminded when I pray that I am not approaching a distant deity, but a covenant Father who has bound Himself to me in Christ. He chose me, redeemed me, and adopted me. My prayers rest on His unchanging promises and covenantal love. I must remember this: He hears me because of Christ. My hope is sure, not in my devotion, but in His steadfast love.
Prayer (Supplication):
O gracious Father, who art in heaven, full of mercy and abundant in kindness, I come before You by the blood of Your Son, pleading not in my own righteousness, but in His. You have declared in Your Word that the prayer of the upright is Your delight, and that You are more willing to give good gifts to Your children than any earthly father to his child. I confess, Lord, that I often come with a dull heart, distracted thoughts, and selfish aims. Forgive me, O God, for the coldness of my prayers and the shallow nature of my desires.
Stir my soul by the power of Your Spirit to pray as one who believes You are truly good, and that You reward those who diligently seek You. Grant me a deeper hunger for righteousness, a greater longing for holiness, and a more fervent desire to walk in step with Your will. Let me not grow weary in intercession, nor falter in the place of petition, but teach me to pray without ceasing.
Lord, I ask for wisdom to know what I ought to seek. Let my prayers rise not from vanity or impulse, but from the Spirit’s illumination in my mind and heart. Cause me to ask for Your Spirit in fuller measure. Send Your grace to strengthen me against sin, to renew my mind in truth, and to lead me into closer fellowship with Christ.
Guard me from turning prayer into a formality. Make it instead my constant refuge, my joy, and my weapon. When the flesh grows tired, let Your Spirit bear me up. When doubt creeps in, remind me that You have pledged Yourself in covenant to hear Your children. Let me never cease calling on Your name, for in it there is strength, comfort, and peace.
And Lord, I plead not only for myself but for Your church, for all the saints who call on You in truth. Pour out Your Spirit upon us. Teach us to pray together. Raise up a praying people who depend solely upon the God who hears in secret and rewards openly.
Let every petition that rises from our lips come with faith, every request be offered with reverence, and every cry be shaped by Scripture. May we ask for the Spirit and be nourished and transformed. For You are our Father, and You delight to give us what we truly need.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Matthew 7:11:
Ps. 84:11; Matt. 6:9; James 1:17; Gen. 6:5; Ps. 86:5.
[1] Nathaniel Vincent, The Spirit of Prayer, eBook, (Coconut Creek, FL: Puritan Publications, 2013) Exhortation to Prayer.
