Sunday Mornings at Short Creek

Kingdom Characteristic Series

December 7^th, 2025

Ask, Seek, and Knock – Matthew 7:7-14

 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moves beyond our external actions and challenges us to consider the very reason why we talk and act the way we do. Jesus challenges us to examine our hearts.

 

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

• Practicing Righteousness is not a sin. However, if we are practicing righteousness for the approval of men and not God, it is sin.
• When you do something for the church, are you looking for recognition?

 

1 John 3:7-10 (NASB)  Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister.

 

A regular Christ-centered prayer life is a vital part of Practicing Righteousness!

 

Matthew 7:7-14 (NASB) Prayer and the Golden Rule

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

• The three imperatives ask, seek, and knockare in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned.
• God promises to answer all genuine prayers.
• Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.
• The one who asks receives an answer.
• The one who seeks discovers God’s will
• The one who knocks understands their authority.

 

Ask, Seek, Knock – speaks to the progression of prayer. These aren’t three terms that mean the same thing. This isn’t three different ways to pray. Like the Lord’s prayer, it is a pattern of prayer that activates Heaven’s Kingdom will on our earth, specifically in our lives.

• Prayer is
  • True Worship
  • Giving God permission to intervene in our lives…
  • Acknowledging that Jesus is Lord of our lives…
  • Leaning on the Lord’s wisdom and understanding…
    • Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
  • Building a lasting and intimate relationship with the Lord…
  • Confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness…
  • Prayer is listening, not just talking…
  • Prayer is interceding for a lost world, a lost loved one, or a struggling friend…
  • The only recorded thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them was how to pray…
  • Prayer isn’t the last resort; it is the catalyst that provides heaven’s resources in our lives. – “Well, I reckon all we can do is pray?”

 

Ask – make your request known.

• Luke 18:1-8 (NASB) Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, ² saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. ³ Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴ For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person, ⁵ yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said; ⁷ now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? ⁸ I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
  • A faithful Christian is a praying Christian…
• Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
  • In “EVERYTHING” by Prayer, Supplication (petition, pleading), and Thanksgiving
  • Do you thank God for what you have, or just complain about where your decisions have put you?
  • Peace is the result of a regular prayer life.

 

Ask then Seek – the will of God concerning the matter

• 1 John 5:14-15 (NASB) This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
• Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”.
• Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”.
• James 1:5-6: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting”.
• Psalm 105:3-4: “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always”.
• Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

 

Knock – take authority and open the door.

• What do we knock on? Doors
• Matthew 16:19 (NASB) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
• Faith activates God’s will in our lives. But it’s not faith in our faith, faith in healing, or even faith in any spiritual gift; it is faith in Jesus and His finished work accomplished at Calvary.
• Notice we knock, but He is the one who opens.
• Jesus is the King; we are not the King. It is by our obedience that heaven’s provisions are released in our lives, as well as the lives of the folks we love.

 

Why Prayers aren’t Answered

James 4:1-10 (NASB) What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? ² You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

• This describes the sin of the Church at Thyatira, the sin of cultural compromise, the tolerating of the spirit of Jezebel.
• This is more than just a compromise with the world; it is a compromise with bad doctrine for the sake of unity.
• This describes giving tithes and offerings, looking for a blessing, and treating God as though He is a genie to be manipulated.

⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

• Your inability to truly celebrate the success of others reveals pride in your heart.

⁷ Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

• Your pride attracts the devil; your humility repels him.

 ⁸ Come close to God, and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

• The gift of free will means that God will only reveal Himself as much as we are willing to expose ourselves through confession and repentance.
• We are called to walk in the light, exposing all our weights and sins, as He Himself is in the Light, as He is the Light!
• A double-minded person is lukewarm, compromising, easily swayed by the whims of their emotions; they are uncommitted, easily distracted, and will fall on the wrong side of the fence if they fail to humble themselves.

 ⁹ Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

• God will allow circumstances in our lives to humble us, but He will never humble us. “If my people will humble themselves…”
• True repentance comes from a place of crushing, a place of deep brokenness.

 

1 John 5:14-15 (NASB) This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

 

Psalms 66:18 (NASB) If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

 

John 14:13-14 (NASB)  And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

• Adding in the Name of Jesus at the end of your prayer isn’t a magic incantation that moves heaven on your behalf.
• Praying in Jesus’ name is to pray in the character of Jesus. It is to pray according to the heart of Jesus.
  • Love and Compassion: Characterized by his selfless and unconditional love for others, He showed compassion for the sick and suffering.
  • Humility and Service: Demonstrated humility and a commitment to serving others, as seen in acts like washing his disciples’ feet.
  • Forgiveness: Extended forgiveness even to those who were harming him.
  • Patience and Self-Control: Portrayed as patient and strong, especially in resisting temptation.
  • Truth and Holiness: Taught the truth and lived a pure, sinless life, characterized by holiness and righteousness.
  • Faith and Hope: Had unwavering faith in God and radiated hope, offering rest and peace to those who followed him.

1 Peter 3:7 (NASB)  You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

• Men are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the church.
• Dishonoring your wife by what you are scrolling on at 2:00 AM, that little flirty tone you have with that girl at work, talking down to her, belittling her, speaking harshly to her, correcting her like she’s a kid, will halt your prayers.
• Women are commanded to respect their husbands. The respect you have for your husband is directly proportional to the respect you have for God. Don’t expect God to give you what you are asking for as long as you are failing to show genuine appreciation for what He has already given you.
• If you are at home and your husband is working and he comes home to a nasty house, has to wash his own clothes and fix his own supper, you don’t respect him or God.

 

Matthew 7:9-11 (NASB) Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹ So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

• Praying according to God’s will
• Is what you’re asking for the best thing for you?
• Is what you’re asking for rooted in God’s Will for your life?
• As a parent, would you give a toddler a handgun, the keys to the car, or a hot iron and ask them to iron the clothes?

 Matthew 7:12 (NASB) In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

• The Golden Rule is directly related to having your prayers answered.
• If you treat others like garbage, don’t expect God to answer your prayers.

Matthew 22:35-40 (NASB) And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

 

The Narrow and Wide Gates

 Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB) Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

We are going to dive deep into the narrow and the wide gate next week. Just know that this isn’t talking about the Christians and Buddhists, Muslims, Satanists, and other religions that reject that Jesus is the Christ. This speaks to the church. Many, based on bad doctrine, are on the broad road to hell, and they don’t even realize it. Their lives are built on sinking sand, not on the solid cornerstone that Jesus is the Christ, the only way, the only truth, and the only way to eternal life. Their faith is in signs, wonders, false gifts, and miracles. They look for a Jesus that can save them without him being their Lord. They believe the lie of eternal security, said the “Sinner’s Prayer,” have been baptized, but still make a practice of sin.

Their fruit, the way they treat people, the lack of respect wives have for their husbands, the lack of love husbands show for their wives, testifies that they have not had a real encounter with the Lord Jesus by way of God the Holy Spirit.

Some of these will get to heaven and claim to have cast out demons, prophesied, and have done many great and wonderful things in the name of Jesus. But the Jesus, the wide gate Jesus, that they served wasn’t the Jesus that truly saves, truly heals, and truly delivers, and they will be shocked to hear, DEPART FROM ME YOU WORKER OF INIQUITY, I NEVER KNEW YOU!

 

Why aren’t your prayers being answered? Maybe you haven’t made Jesus the Christ the Lord of your life!