Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mat 21:22
And all things whatsoever ye ask in prayer believing.
Faith in prayer
Alexander the Great had a famous but indigent philosopher in his court. This adept in science was once particularly straitened in his circumstances. To whom should he apply, but to his patron, the conqueror of the world. He no sooner made his request than it was granted. Alexander gave him a commission to receive of his treasury whatever he wanted. He immediately demanded, in his sovereigns name, ten thousand pounds. The treasurer, surprised at so large a demand, refused to comply; but waited upon the king, and told him of the request, remarking how unreasonable he thought the petition, and how exorbitant the sum. Alexander heard him with patience; but, as soon as he had ended his remonstrance, replied, Let the money be instantly paid. I am delighted with this philosophers way of thinking; he has done me a singular honour; by the largeness of his request he shows the high idea he has conceived both of my superior wealth and my royal munificence. We cannot honour God more than by believing what He says, and acting upon that faith in all our requests at His throne.
Prayer based on Gods promise
Prayer is the bow, the promise is the arrow; faith is the hand which draws the bow, and sends the arrow with the hearts message to heaven. The bow without the arrow is of no use, and the arrow without the bow is of little worth, and both without the strength of the hand are to no purpose. Neither the promise without prayer, nor prayer without the promise, nor both without faith avail the Christian anything. What was said of the Israelites, They could not enter in, because of unbelief, the same may be said of many of our prayers; they cannot enter heaven, because they are not put up in faith. (Slater.)
Literal answer to prayer
Some fifty years ago, one bitter January night, the inhabitants of the old town of Schleswig were thrown into the greatest distress and terror. A hostile army was marching down upon them, and new and fearful reports of the conduct of the lawless soldiery were hourly reaching the place. In one large, commodious cottage dwelt an aged woman with her widow daughter and a grandson. While all hearts quaked with fear, this saintly soul passed her time in crying cut to God that He would build a wall of defence round about them, quoting the words of an ancient hymn. Her grandson asked why she prayed for a thing so entirely impossible as that God should build a wall about their house, which should hide it; but she explained that her meaning only was that God should protect them in whatever way seemed to Him best. At midnight the dreaded tramp was heard, and the enemy came pouring in at every avenue, filling the houses to overflowing. But, while most fearful sounds were heard on every side, not even a knock came to their door; at which they were greatly surprised. The morning light cleared up the mystery; for, just beyond the house, the drifted snow had reared such a massive wall that it was impossible to get over it to them. There! said the good woman, triumphantly; do you not see, my son, that God could raise up a wall around us?
The influence of believing prayer has a good analogy in the daguerrotype
By means of this process the features of natural objects are thrown upon a sensitive sheet through a lens and leave their impression upon that sheet. So when the character of God is, by means of prayer, brought to bear upon the mind of the believer-the mind being rendered sensitive by the Holy Spirit-it impresses there the Divine image. In this manner the image of Christ is formed in the soul, the existence of which the Scriptures represent as inspiring the believer with the hope of glory. (Walker.)
The true theory of Christian prayer as the Object, the Medium, the Agent
This theory has its analogy in the worship of the Jewish economy, and in the worship of all religions. It is also in analogy with the general practice in petitioning or asking as between people and their rulers, children and parents, servants and masters. The principle involved in this doctrine of Christian worship has its illustrations in science. Let one suffice. An astronomer, for instance, has an impression that there is in a certain part of the heavens a star which he wants to discover. Now what is comprehended in his discovery of this star? The first necessary condition is the spirit of the science. This gives him the impression. By the influences of this spirit he has resort to the use of his glass. He relies on this as being sufficient for his purpose. He adjusts his glass between himself and the heavens. For days or weeks he may be in search of the star. At last his glass brings the object of his search to his sight. Observe the process of this discovery. Through the telescope, by the spirit of astronomy in him, he has found the star. Had he possessed the spirit without the glass, he could not have found the star; or had he possessed the glass without the spirit moving him to use it, he would not have found it. And observe, even with the spirit and the glass looking at the star, after its discovery, he sees not the star itself, but only its reflection through the glass. Thus no one prays without the spirit of prayer; and even with the spirit of prayer, he cannot come to God but through the Mediator, Jesus; and then as he comes through Jesus he only speaks to God through Him, and receives answers through Him. God and Christ without the Spirit are incomplete. The Spirit and Christ without God are insufficient. But God as the Object whom we seek, Christ as the Mediator through whom we seek, and the Spirit as the Agent by whom we seek, complete the scheme of prayer. (J. Bate.)
Object and nature of true prayer
I. The object of prayer.
II. The nature of it.
III. The obligations we are under to pray.
IV. The great importance of faith in this holy exercise. Prayer is the unfeigned language of the heart. What we ask in prayer should be according to the Divine will. We must ask all in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ. (John Townsend.)
Believing prayer
The word believing is the key to any difficulty in accepting this declaration literally. We cannot believe whatever we please. It is only the Spirit of God who can enable a man to believe that God will answer his prayer. Then He will grant the petition. Here it is necessary to notice that faith in Christ as your Saviour is one thing, while faith in the favourable answer of a particular prayer is another and distinct thing. You may have a firm faith in your Saviour, and yet not be able to ask in faith, nothing wavering, when you offer up a particular petition, because you are not sure that it is according to the will of God. When God has absolutely promised any blessing, you ought to believe without doubting that the answer is certain. But we are wanted to pray in other cases when we have no specific promise to plead. In all things make your requests known unto God. Your child may be dying; you pray for it; but have no specific promise that it will recover. Yet, If thou canst believe, all things are possible, etc. But there is no promise that this kind of faith will be given. It may please God for the best of reasons to withhold it. Jesus Christ is God; He is King of Kings; He governs the universe. We must be in training with Him before we can be blessed. To this infinite spiritual Power and Presence we are invited to pray. By sense we perceive the visible world; by faith, the invisible. To our completeness faith is not less necessary than sight. It is even more necessary; for a blind man, by faith, may live a glorious life even on earth, where his bodily eyes are closed. And do we not all see in our dreams, when we are asleep, things far more beautiful than we ever see when we are awake? This is significant, surely. Every time we go to sleep we enter upon the confines of a spiritual world which our outward eyes cannot see. When we dream, we are consciously moving in a border-land, a wonder-land, where we see with other eyes than those of our visible bodies. So faith is a kind of spiritual vision. As Christians we walk by faith, not by sight merely. Moreover, faith is an inspiration and a power. It is mighty through God to the pulling down of our enemys strongholds. Faith in God-faith in Christ as God-faith in the promises-faith in the efficacy of prayer-this it is that enables the joyful disciple to look down upon the distinctions which the world values most, as a full-grown man looks upon the painted toys of little children. Faith is not superstition. Faith in the invisible part of the Divine scheme, is the God-given function of every healthy soul. This implies confidence in God as the Hearer and Answerer of prayer-the God of truth whose promises not one word can fail. When He gives a petitioner faith in the success of His petition, then there can be no doubt but that He intends to answer. (J. Aberigh-Mackay, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. All things – ye shall ask in prayer, believing] In order to get salvation, there must be,
1. a conviction of the want of it: this begets,
2. prayer, or warm desires, in the heart: then
3. the person asks, i.e. makes use of words expressive of his wants and wishes:
4. believes the word of promise, relative to the fulfilment of his wants: and
5. receives, according to the merciful promise of God, the salvation which his soul requires.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And all things whatsoever,…. Not only miracles, but any other thing which may be for the honour of God, the interest of religion, the spreading of the Gospel, the enlargement of the kingdom, of Christ, their own spiritual good, and the welfare of immortal souls,
ye shall ask in prayer, believing. Munster’s Hebrew Gospel reads it, “in prayer, and in faith”; and the Arabic version renders it, “in prayer with faith”; both to the same purpose, and aptly express the sense of the words, which design the prayer of faith; or that prayer which is put up in the strength of faith; and is of great avail with God: for whatever is asked in faith, agreeable to the will of God, which is contained in his covenant, word, and promises, and makes for his glory, and the good of his people, shall be given, be it what it will; though to carnal sense and reason it may seem impracticable and impossible:
ye shall receive; of God, through Christ, freely and fully, and shall have and enjoy them, either they themselves, if asked for themselves, or others, for whom they are asked.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Believing (). This is the point of the parable of the mountain, “faith in the efficacy of prayer” (Plummer).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
(22) All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer.Here again there is the implied condition (as in Mat. 7:7) that what is asked is in harmony with the laws and will of God. If it were not so it would not be asked in faith, and every true prayer involves the submission of what it asks to the divine judgment. The words suggest the thought, of which we have the full expression in Joh. 11:42, that our Lords miracles were less frequently wrought by an inherent supernatural virtuethough this, also, distinctly appears, e.g., in the history of the woman with the issue of blood (Luk. 8:46)than by power received from the Father, and in answer to His own prayers.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Believing With a faith that God inspires and you exercise. God will not give pure faith for a prayer or a work which he will not fulfil, nor yet will he promise the fulfilment, unless you exercise the faith he empowers. Ye shall receive For God will not grant the power of faith for a gift; he will not grant either in kind or in equivalent.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
Jesus then caps off His words by underlining the importance of taking God at His word. His point is that when they are praying for something, praying through to a position of faith will result in their receiving it. Note the connection with prayer. The idea is not of some outlandish ‘faith’ used outside the purposes of God in order to obtain anything that we want, but on the importance of faith in seeking the will of God. Full confidence in God and true prayer is required if they are to accomplish His will, and achieve great spiritual things. For then the glory will go to God.
This emphasis on prayer reminds us that that was precisely where Jesus had seen unbelieving Israel as lacking in Mat 21:13. Had their thoughts been more on true prayer, and less on making money, they would not have needed Him to do what He did, and their way would have prospered. But for many prayer had become just a formality (compare Mat 6:5; Luk 18:11-12). Thus they were already partly withered.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Ver. 22. Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ] Faith is the foundation of prayer, and prayer is the fervency of faith. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord,” or thy request, thy gift upon the Lord, Psa 55:22 , that is, whatsoever thou desirest that God should give thee in prayer, cast it upon him by faith, and it shall be effected. Fidei mendica manus. Faith and prayer are the soul’s two hands, whereby she begs and receives of God all good things both for this and a better life. Hence of old when the saints prayed they spread out the palms of their hands, as to receive a blessing from God, 1Ki 8:22 ; Exo 9:29 ; Psa 143:6 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ask. Greek. aiteo. App-134.
receive. Supply the Ellipsis: “[it, if it he His will]”, from Mat 26:39-44. Jam 5:14, Jam 5:15; 1Jn 5:14, 1Jn 5:15. This is the one abiding condition of all prayer; and this Ellipsis must always be supplied.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 21:22. , ye shall ask in prayer[925]) see Mar 11:24. Miracles are performed by the prayers of the faithful.-, ye shall receive, etc.) sc. as a gift. Thus, in Mar 11:23-24, , …, he shall have, etc.
[925] The relation of faith to prayer is the same as that of fire to flame.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mat 7:7, Mat 7:11, Mat 18:19, Mar 11:24, Luk 11:8-10, Joh 14:13, Joh 15:7, Joh 16:24, Jam 5:16, 1Jo 3:22, 1Jo 5:14, 1Jo 5:15
Reciprocal: Gen 20:17 – General Jos 10:14 – the Lord 1Ki 17:20 – he cried Job 22:28 – decree Psa 20:4 – General Mat 6:5 – when Mar 9:23 – If Luk 11:9 – Ask Joh 15:16 – that whatsoever Joh 16:23 – Whatsoever Act 1:14 – all Act 3:16 – through Act 4:31 – spake Heb 10:22 – in full Jam 1:6 – let Jam 5:15 – the prayer
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1:22
In prayer, believing corresponds in thought with chapter 17:21. In that passage the faith was to be connected with a season of “prayer and fasting.” The part that was performed by the disciples in each instance was an evidence of their faith.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 21:22. And all things, etc. Mark: therefore, showing that the primary application, so far as miraculous power is concerned, was to the Twelve. As applied to all Christians, it is of course confined to prayers of faith (Mat 21:21-22), implying agreement with the will of God, and excluding the abuse of this promise. Christ defines believing and effective prayer to be prayer in His name (Joh 14:13; Joh 15:16; Joh 16:24).