Does God Always Answer Prayers?

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Summary

Continuing the "Jesus Said What?" series in Matthew 7:7-11, Pastor Kent Keller acknowledges that the road of discipleship is longer and harder than most of us expected when we first came to Christ. He offers three key words of encouragement for the journey—God guides us if we ask, God provides what we really need, and God abides by his own rules—reminding a communion-bound congregation that whatever God asks of us, he has met himself in the incarnation and cross of Jesus.

Sermon Outline

1. 1

   The road of discipleship is longer than we expected ▶ 0:02

   Kent invites the congregation to recall their early days of faith and admits none of us foresaw the potholes, dark places, and hard times that following Jesus would involve.

2. 2

   Reading the text and praying for the bruised ▶ 1:49

   He reads Matthew 7:7-11 on asking, seeking, and knocking, and prays for those barely making it, citing Isaiah's promise that God will not break a bruised reed.

3. 3

   An invitation to those who have never trusted Christ ▶ 3:36

   Before going further, Kent stops to call anyone who has never received Jesus to come to him, noting that God requires no theology exam—only a broken, needy heart.

4. 4

   God guides us if we ask ▶ 6:04

   Following Jesus sets us apart from a culture that keeps lowering the bar; ask, seek, and knock are present commands to keep doing, and prayer must be paired with truly listening to and being prepared to answer others.

5. 5

   God provides what we really need ▶ 3:53

   Even Jesus did not get what he asked in Gethsemane, so God's "yes" is according to his good will—he gives the fruit of the Spirit and good gifts, not stones or serpents.

6. 6

   God abides by his own rules ▶ 3:53

   Whatever God requires of us he has met himself in the incarnation; our high priest sympathizes with our weakness because he lived the whole of human experience and thought us worthwhile.

7. 7

   Coming to the Lord's table ▶ 3:53

   Kent leads into communion with words of welcome, caution, and a prayer of confession, framing the table as Jesus' own where his people need not be perfect, only his.

Key Points

• Following Jesus is a long, often hard road, and the call to take up our cross daily is as much a part of the gospel as its comforts.
• Ask, seek, and knock are ongoing commands—we are to keep praying persistently for the wisdom and discernment we need each day.
• Effective witness pairs honest listening with being prepared to give a gentle, respectful reason for the hope within us.
• God does not always give what we ask—even Jesus' Gethsemane prayer was answered according to the Father's higher will—but what he gives is always good.
• Your own story is the one thing you are the world's leading authority on; "I was like this, I met Jesus, now I'm like this" is a witness no one can deny.
• Whatever God asks of us he has fulfilled himself in Christ, our high priest who sympathizes with our weakness because he lived our experience and bore our sin.

Quotable Moments

Discussion Questions

1. 1

   When you first followed Jesus, what did you expect the road to look like, and how has the reality been longer or harder than you imagined?

2. 2

   Jesus commands us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Where in your life do you need to keep praying persistently rather than giving up?

3. 3

   Kent says even Jesus did not get what he asked in Gethsemane. How does that reshape what it means for God to "answer" our prayers?

4. 4

   Why does Kent insist we listen to others before sharing our faith, and how might genuine listening open doors for the gospel?

5. 5

   How does knowing that God "abides by his own rules"—meeting in Christ everything he asks of us—change the way you bring your struggles to him?