When Parents Pray

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 7:7-11Nothing will bring you to your knees in prayer like having children; it also gives us a clearer picture of how God the Father provides for His children if only they would ask. In Matthew 7, Jesus shows us not only how to pray, but what happens when parents pray.“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).First, when we ask, we are expressing our desire.There is no substitute for prayer; unoffered prayer is not only a tragedy, but also a sin. Our Lord has not merely invited us to ask and pray; He has commanded us to ask and pray. Prayer initiates fellowship with God; our faith develops as we wait for Him to answer. If God gave us what we needed without our asking, we would cease to be dependent upon Him.Second, when we seek, we explore our direction.When we go to God, we are seeking His purposes, His presence, or His power. Adrian Rogers says, “Prayer is not bending God’s will to fit our will; prayer is finding the will of God and getting in on it.”Third, when we knock, we are exerting determination.“If you then, 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” (Matthew 7:11)!Sometimes, prayers are very direct: we ask, and God gives. Other times, we ask, and God gives us something better than what we’ve requested. Other times, the answer is denied; if we are not asking according to God’s will, He will say no. God will not give us something that will harm us or hinder our walk with Him.But sometimes, the answer isn’t denied, just delayed. This is the time we should continue knocking—keep bringing the request to God in Jesus’ name. We must remember that God is good, wise, and able to do exceedingly more than we could ever ask Him to do. (See Ephesians 3:20.)Apply it to your lifeAdrian Rogers says, “Learn to pray. Ask. Seek. Knock. When you ask, that’s desire. When you seek, that’s direction. When you knock, that is determination.”