Fowler feels that while prayer is not useful to God, it is useful to humans. In Matthew 6:8 Jesus also states that prayer is not necessary as God knows what a person needs even before they ask him. Thus a prayer for wealth may not be answered, as such wealth may damage one's spiritual soul. Even if you ask for something that will harm you, he will not provide it. One notion is that God only gives good gifts. Christian theology has long tried to address the issue of prayers that seem unanswered. These verses thus cannot apply to all prayer, but only those who truly seek God. Fowler notes that in Matthew 6:5- 13 Jesus has already laid out some rules for proper prayer. This of course cannot mean that every demand made of God will be met in full. The verse presents prayer as certain to be answered, and the following verses explain why this is. Nolland posits that knocking may be linked to the Narrow Gate metaphor found in Matthew 7:13. This implies that the asking, seeking, and knocking are all described as continuous actions, and this implies that prayer to be effective should also be a continual habit, rather than an occasional plea. The present imperative tense is used for the verbs in these verses. Later in Matthew, however, knocking will be a metaphor for gaining admittance to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hendriksen summarizes this by describing seeking as "asking plus acting." Knocking, according to France, was also a metaphor for prayer in the Jewish literature of this period. Fowler feels that the verb seek emphasizes the effort and concentration that must be put into prayer. Morris feels that seeking in prayer means that the person does not know exactly what they need, and feel that they can seek the answer to this question through God. The person praying who prays to God has obviously already decided that it is there that their answers are to be found. Morris notes that idea of seeking does not completely mesh with the prayer metaphor. Hendriksen notes that asking implies humility, an inferior asking for aid from a superior. To him who knocks (and keeps on knocking) the door will be opened. He who seeks (and keeps on seeking) finds. For everyone who asks (and keeps on asking) receives. Knock (and keep knocking) and the door will be opened for you. Seek (and keep seeking), and you will find. In the original language the terms ask, seek, and knock are/were intended to mean a continuous act versus a one-time act: Ask (and keep asking), and it will be given you. In this view asking, seeking, and knocking are all metaphors for the act of prayer. The most common interpretation of these verses, which are also found at Luke 11:9–10, is that they are a return to the issue of prayer, which was discussed in the last chapter and is quite clearly addressed by the subsequent verses. The World English Bible translates the passage as:ħ "Ask, and it will be given you. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:ħ Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. These verses begin an important metaphor generally believed to be about prayer. Matthew 7:7–8 are the seventh and eighth verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Biblical illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing Illustration for Matthew 7:7 "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you".
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