Ask and receive (Matthew 21:22)

Sermon on 7 September 2025 by Sis Hui Ling

Introduction

In Matthew 21:18-22, Jesus cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit. One might wonder why He did so. What did Jesus really mean when He said that you can pray for anything, and that if you have faith, you will receive it?

Message

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” - Matthew 21:18-22

Matthew 7:7-11 tells us about asking and receiving.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “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 gifts to those who ask him! - Matthew 7:7-11

Our Heavenly Father intends to give us good gifts. This is the truth.

Then one might ask, what are good things and how do we know?

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 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. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. - James 4:1-3

Good things cannot be from wrong motives. Good things must be matched with good motives. If you need to scheme and devise plans to get what you want, this is not good in God’s eyes. Good things are about doing the same works as Jesus. It is about bringing glory to God.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. - John 14:12-14

When you ask God for something, He may not give to us straightaway. He may not answer you directly. It happens according to God’s timing. What is meant by God’s timing?

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:7

Sometimes, God wants us to wait. God’s timing allows us to go through a process of sanctification. In the meantime, take delight in the Lord and allow His word to remain in us.

How should we ask for something?

We have to ask in faith. When we have faith, it is about our heart holding on to the promise of His great work. Matthew 7:7-11 tells us to ask, seek, and knock. All these imply action. God wants us to be a partaker - we are to partake in pro-activeness in faith, without doubt in Him.

Closing

Jesus wants us to internalise the truth that our Heavenly Father wants to give good gifts to us. Ask in faith and believe that God will give good things. Ask yourself whether the purpose of your prayers are in sync with the commandments of God. God’s timing of answering our prayers is a process of sanctification. Meanwhile, take delight in the Lord, remain in Him, and let His word remain in you. Partake in pro-activeness, in faith, without doubt in Him.