When we speak to someone, the tone and manner in which we address them can earn us their mercy and favor. However, if we ask rudely, we risk ruining the task we aim to accomplish. Similarly, in the Bible, Jesus shares a parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, illustrating how the way they prayed reflected their attitudes and was received differently.
[Luke 18:9-14 NIV] 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Two men went to the temple to pray, but their attitudes and prayers were vastly different:
The Pharisee stood confidently and prayed with an air of self-righteousness. He boasted about his good deeds, such as fasting and tithing, and compared himself favourably to others, including the tax collector, whom he looked down upon
The Tax Collector, on the other hand, approached God with humility. He stood at a distance, feeling unworthy even to lift his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow and pleaded, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Jesus declared that it was the Tax Collector’s prayer that was accepted and justified before God, not the Pharisee’s. He emphasized that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Things to Avoid in Prayer
When we approach God in prayer, we should do so with reverence, sincerity, and humility, avoiding behaviors that resemble rudeness or thoughtlessness.
[Matthew 6:7-8 NIV] 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Avoid “Vain Repetition”
Repeating a request in prayer is not inherently wrong—Jesus and Paul both prayed persistently (e.g., Matthew 26:36-46; 2 Corinthians 12:7-8).
However, a prayer becomes “vain repetition” when it lacks sincerity and becomes mere babbling of words, disconnected from the heart and God’s will.
Avoid memorized, Empty Prayers:
Simply reciting memorized phrases without genuine thought or intent can be a form of vain repetition.
The pagan Gentiles, for instance, repeated ritualistic prayers during ceremonies (e.g., 1 Kings 18:26).
Focus on Glorifying God:
The primary purpose of prayer is to honour God’s name and seek His will on earth, not merely to fulfill personal desires.
Our prayers should start with God’s interests—His name, His kingdom, and His will.
Why Pray If God Knows Our Needs?
Prayer is the method God has appointed to meet our needs. As stated in James 4:1-3, prayer is not just about asking but about asking with the right motives, free from selfish desires.
[James 4:1-3 NIV] 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Ask / Seek / Knock
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about prayer and emphasizes the importance of asking, seeking, and knocking as acts of faith in approaching God.
Ask
Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
Jesus assures us that the answer to prayer is certain. When we ask, we “will” receive; when we seek, we “will” find; and when we knock, the door “will” be opened.
The nature of God is to answer prayer. Faith, however, is essential—our trust in God matters in how we approach Him and in how He responds.
While simple faith may be challenging in a modern times we live as we look to other sources to confirm if that will happen or not, true faith must come from the heart, fully believing that God will answer.
Why Ask ?
These commands are not just invitations but assurances that God desires to meet our needs. He is calling us to pray because He delights in answering us.
God delights not only in our asking but even more in His answering. Prayer is both an act of dependence and a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to His children.
Seek
Matthew 7:8: “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
This verse reinforces the promise of the previous one: God’s will is to answer those who ask, seek, and knock. Let’s explore the depth of this assurance:
1. God Shows No favouritism
God values every individual equally; no one is more important or precious than another in His eyes.
While it is good to seek prayer support from others, we don’t need anyone’s recommendation to approach God.
Direct access to God is available to everyone—no pastor, elder, or mediator is required for communication with Him.
2. God Understands Every Heart
There is no specific “proficiency” or eloquence required to speak to God. Whether a child, an adult, or an elderly person prays, God understands the heart behind the words.
Example: Hannah’s Prayer: In 1 Samuel 1:9-13, 15, Hannah’s prayer demonstrates the principles of seeking God with sincerity: [1 Samuel 1:9-13, 15 NIV] 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." 12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ... 15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.
She stood and prayed in deep anguish, weeping bitterly.
Her prayer was silent yet heartfelt, pouring out her soul to the Lord.
She made a vow, showing her faith and dedication.
Result: God “remembered her” (1 Samuel 1:19) and answered her prayer by giving her a son, Samuel.
3. God Responds to Earnest Prayers
Example: Abraham’s Intercession for Lot: When Sodom and Gomorrah faced destruction, Abraham pleaded with God to save the righteous. Starting with 50 people and reducing to 10, his earnest intercession saved Lot and his family. [Genesis 19:29 NIV] 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Genesis 19:29: “God remembered Abraham” and delivered Lot from the catastrophe.
4. No Special “Gift” Is Required
There is no spiritual gift or special status needed to have prayers answered. God is impartial.
James 3:17: God’s wisdom is pure, peace-loving, merciful, and impartial. - [James 3:17 NIV] 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
5. Elijah’s Example
Elijah was not an extraordinary or “super human” version of us. He was a man with a nature like ours, yet his earnest prayers were powerful. James 5:16-18: Elijah prayed fervently for no rain, and it didn’t rain for 3.5 years. When he prayed again, rain returned. - [James 5:16-18 NIV] 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. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
This demonstrates the power of a righteous person’s prayer—something we all have access to through Christ’s righteousness.
6. Pray Boldly and Without Inhibition
We are made righteous in Christ, and this righteousness allows us to approach God confidently.
Shed any doubts or fears, and pray with boldness, knowing that God delights in responding to those who seek Him earnestly.
God calls us to seek Him with faith, sincerity, and persistence. He is ready to answer, without partiality, and His responses are always rooted in His love and perfect will.
Knock
Matthew 7:9-11: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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 good things to those who ask Him!”
This verse emphasises the loving and generous nature of God, who desires to give His children the best gifts. Its for his children to Seek that and get that from the father.
1. God Gives Only What Is Good
God provides precisely what we need, and everything that comes from Him is “good and perfect” James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
In Luke’s account of this teaching, Jesus specifically refers to the Holy Spirit as the ultimate “good gift” from God (Luke 11:13). Luke 11:13: “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift—the Promise of the Father—and we are encouraged to pray daily for a fresh infilling of His Spirit.
2. God Gives Abundantly
God gives the Holy Spirit without measure and answers prayers far beyond our expectations: Ephesians 3:20: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”
We can pray confidently, knowing that God’s answers are always good. He will never give us something harmful or contrary to His perfect will.
3. God’s “No” Is Also an Answer
Sometimes, God says “no” because He knows the difference between good gifts and bad gifts for us. This discernment comes through the Holy Spirit, helping us trust His decisions even when we don’t understand.
God may reveal the reason for a “no” immediately, after some time, or over years. His delays are not denials but are often part of a larger plan.
4. God Reveals His Will Step by Step
When we pray, God doesn’t usually reveal everything at once. Instead, He leads us step by step:
First, He plants a vision or desire in our hearts.
Then, as we persist in prayer and meditate on His Word, He guides us to the next steps.
This process keeps us dependent on Him as a child relies on a loving father.
5. Aligning Desires with God’s Will
Often, our prayers stem from fleshly desires. However, through prayer, God refines our hearts, seeding the right desires and removing those that don’t align with His will. James 4:2-3: “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
We are called to surrender our will to His, acknowledging that everything depends on God’s plan: James 4:15: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”
6. Keep Persisting in Prayer
Jesus encourages us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking—not just in emergencies but as a continual practice of communication with God: 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray continually.”
Through persistent prayer, God will either answer directly or reveal why He cannot answer in the way we expect.
Promises for Prayer
“Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
Don’t babble with repetative words which lacks sincerity as these prayers may not be answered.
Prayer is the method God has appointed to meet our needs. As it states in James 4:1-3 , prayer is not just about asking but about asking with the right motives, free from selfish desires.
Approach God regularly, not just during crises, and trust Him to respond with wisdom, love, and the best gifts for your life.
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