“Ask and you shall receive” is a popular quote from the Bible that has been used by many people to encourage prayer and faith.
This Bible scripture is found in Matthew 7:7, where Jesus tells His followers that if they ask and seek the Lord in prayer, they will receive what they ask for. The verse goes on to say that everyone who asks will receive, everyone who seeks will find, and everyone who knocks will have the door opened to them.
Ask and You Shall Receive Verse in KJV
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7 (KJV)
This verse can be interpreted in many different ways.
Some people believe that it means that God will give us everything we ask for, as long as we have faith. Others believe that it means that we should ask for good gifts from God, and that we should trust that God will give us what is best for us.
Regardless of how one interprets this verse, it is clear that prayer is an important part of our life as a Christian.
The Bible encourages believers to pray without ceasing and to bring their requests to God. Whether one is seeking guidance, healing or wisdom, the Bible promises that God will hear and answer the prayers of those who seek Him with a sincere heart.
What Does ‘Ask and You Shall Receive’ Mean?
The meaning behind this phrase is simple yet profound. It suggests that if we ask for something with faith and sincerity, we shall receive it.
However, this does not mean that we will receive everything we ask for, as God knows what is best for us and if it is in Gods will, we might receive the answer to our prayer.
The passage emphasizes the importance of prayer and seeking God’s will in our lives. It encourages us to have faith in God’s grace and to trust that He will provide for us in His own time and in His own way.
Furthermore, the passage suggests that we should approach God as a child approaches their father, with humility and trust. We should not be afraid to ask for what we need or desire, but we should also be willing to accept God’s will if our requests are not granted.
Overall, ‘Ask and You Shall Receive’ is a powerful reminder of the importance of prayer and faith in our lives. It encourages us to seek God’s will and to trust that He will provide for us in His Holy way.
The Bible and ‘Ask and You Shall Receive’
This section will explore the different passages in the Bible that reference this phrase and what they mean.
Matthew 7:7-8
As previously mentioned, the most well-known passages that references “Ask and you shall receive” is found in Matthew 7:7-8. In this passage, Jesus is teaching his disciples about prayer and tells them to ask, seek, and knock. He promises that if they do so, they will receive what they ask for, find what they are seeking, and the door will be opened to them.
Luke 11:9-13
Another passage that references “Ask and you shall receive” is found in Luke 11:9-13. In this passage, Jesus is teaching his disciples about prayer and tells them to ask, seek, and knock. He promises that if they do so, they will receive what they ask for, find what they are seeking, and the door will be opened to them. He also compares God’s willingness to give good gifts to his children to that of earthly fathers.
1 John 5:14-15
1 John 5:14-15 is another passage that references “Ask and you shall receive.” In this passage, John is encouraging his readers to have confidence in their prayers and to ask for anything according to God’s will. He promises that if they do so, God will hear them and grant their requests.
When we look at these passages together, we see a consistent message. God is willing to listen to our prayers and give us what we need. However, there are some important things to keep in mind when we are asking for things from God.
First, our requests should be in line with God’s will. We cannot simply ask for anything we want and expect God to give it to us. We need to seek God’s wisdom and guidance in our prayers and trust that He will give us what we need.
Second, we need to be persistent in our prayers. Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock. This implies that we should not give up after one prayer but continue to seek God’s guidance and help.
Finally, we need to have faith that God will answer our prayers. Jesus promises that if we ask, we will receive. We need to trust that God is faithful and will keep His promises.
In summary, “Ask and you shall receive” is a powerful reminder that we can turn to God for help and guidance. We need to seek his will, be persistent in our prayers, and have faith that he will answer us.
How to Apply ‘Ask and You Shall Receive’ in Your Life
When Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive,” He was inviting His followers to pray with confidence and faith. But how can we apply this principle in our daily lives?
Here are some practical steps to follow:
1. Prayer
The first step is to pray. Prayer is not just a request for God to fulfill our desires, but to build a relationship with Him. It is an opportunity to express our gratitude, confess our sins, and seek His will.
We should start each prayer with the ideals in the Lord’s Prayer, which includes acknowledging God’s sovereignty, asking for His provision, seeking forgiveness, and protection from temptation.
2. Faith
Faith is the second step. We must believe that God is able and willing to answer our prayers.
Jesus said, (Mark 11:24) “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” This means that we should have faith in God’s power and love for us. We should not doubt or waver in our trust in Him.
3. Desires
The third step is to align our desires with God’s will.
We should not ask for things that are contrary to His character or purpose. Instead, we should seek His guidance and wisdom in our requests. Sometimes, what we think we want may not be what is best for us. We should be willing to surrender our desires to God’s plan.
4. Worship
Finally, we need to deepen our intimacy with God.
This involves humility, effort, and patience. We should be humble in acknowledging our need for His grace and mercy. We should make an effort to spend time with Him through reading the Bible, Bible study, praise and worship. And we should be patient in waiting for His timing and answer.
As we wait in Gods timing we can still ask and believe in faith for God hands of protection, comfort, grace, hope, peace and strength during these difficult times.
Maybe it is not our time yet to see the answer to our problems. But miracles happen when we put our trust in the Lord and pray.
These miracles could be a complete victory from our worries, or the courage and support to fight a winning battle.
Either way, Gods hand will be on our lives when we pray and believe.
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God Of Abundance
Matthew 14:13-21 is one of the best examples of how God provides us with more than we ask for.
When the large crowds followed Jesus through the town, watching Him heal the sick it became late. The disciples wanted to send the crowd into the village to buy themselves some food to eat. But instead of sending the crowd away, Jesus multiplied the fives loaves of bread and the two fish that they had, into more than enough to feed the entire crowd plus twelve basketfuls were leftover!
God not only provides us for what we ask and He often gives us more than we imagined. With God there is no need to shy away from dreaming big and asking big.
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. – 1 Chronicles 4:10
I whole-heartedly believe our God is the God of abundance. If we ask for His blessings and abundance in our lives, we will receive it like Jabez did in 1 Chronicles.
But we often limit our asking and only ask God for what we need right now or tomorrow.
I pray that we get the strength to walk boldly in the Holy Spirit and ask God for abundance in our lives in Jesus name.
I hope that these powerful ‘Ask and You Shall Receive’ bible verses will encourage you to continue in prayer and faith for your deliverance.
Ask and You Shall Receive Bible Verses
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Matthew 18:19
Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Luke 11:13
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 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
John 14:13
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Psalm 2:8
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:10
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
John 16:24
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Leviticus 20:24
But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Psalms 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
1 John 3:21-22
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
Free PDF of the Gospels Bible Study Pack for Beginners
Learn about the life of Jesus and His teachings throughout the Gospels, along with study notes and key verses to memorize: