Where in the Bible Is 'Ask and You Shall Receive'?

The Hebrew Bible doesn't contain the exact phrase, but the concept of calling on God and receiving an answer is deeply embedded in Jewish scripture and practice. The Psalms are especially rich with this confidence. Psalm 17:6 expresses it plainly Psalms 17:6, and the prophetic tradition — as in Jeremiah 42:4 — shows that seeking divine guidance through prayer was expected to yield a genuine response Jeremiah 42:4.

Rabbinic tradition developed this further. The practice of tefillah (prayer) isn't merely recitation; it's understood as genuine petition to a God who listens and responds. The Talmud (Berakhot 32b) teaches that the gates of prayer are never entirely closed. While Judaism doesn't frame petitionary prayer around a single proof-text the way Christianity does with Matthew 7:7, the underlying theology — that God hears and answers those who sincerely call — is foundational Psalms 17:6.

This is squarely a Christian biblical question, and the answer is: it appears most famously in Matthew 7:7, part of the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 7:7. Jesus gives a threefold command — ask, seek, knock — each paired with a promise of divine response. Luke 11:9 records a nearly identical saying in a different context, suggesting Jesus taught this principle on more than one occasion Luke 11:9.

Matthew 21:22 adds a crucial qualifier — believing Matthew 21:22. Scholars like D.A. Carson (in his 1984 commentary on Matthew) and N.T. Wright have both noted that these promises aren't blank checks; they're set within a relationship of trust and alignment with God's will. There's genuine disagreement among theologians about how literally to interpret "all things" in Matthew 21:22 — some read it as hyperbole for emphasis, others as a genuine absolute promise conditioned on faith.

The context of Matthew 7:7 matters too: it follows teachings on not judging and precedes the Golden Rule, suggesting the "asking" is embedded in a life of ongoing relationship with God, not isolated transactional prayer.

While the specific Bible verse isn't part of Islamic scripture, Islam has a robust and theologically rich tradition of petitionary prayer called du'a. A well-known hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari describes Allah descending in the last third of the night and actively calling out: "Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give it to him?" Sahih al Bukhari 6321 — a strikingly parallel sentiment to Matthew 7:7.

The Quran itself illustrates this in Surah 3:38, where the prophet Zechariah calls upon his Lord for a child, addressing Him as "the Hearer of supplication" Quran 3:38. This epithet — Sami' al-du'a — is theologically significant; it affirms that God doesn't merely tolerate requests but is constitutively attentive to them.

Another hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari 1469) nuances this: the Prophet Muhammad praised not asking of other people, suggesting that while asking God is encouraged, dependence on humans is discouraged Sahih al Bukhari 1469. Scholars like Ibn al-Qayyim (14th century) wrote extensively on the etiquette and conditions of du'a, noting that sincerity, proper timing, and avoiding the prohibited are all factors in whether a supplication is answered.

In the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), there is no verbatim line “Ask, and you shall receive,” but the theme of calling upon God with the expectation of an answer is present Psalms 17:6.

Psalm 17:6 expresses confidence that God hears and answers prayer, and Jeremiah 42:4 shows the prophet pledging to deliver God’s response to those who inquire, reflecting a covenantal dynamic of petition and divine reply Psalms 17:6Jeremiah 42:4.

Additionally, 2 Chronicles 34:26 records God’s words delivered back to the inquirer, reinforcing the pattern that when Israel seeks guidance, God responds through prophetic mediation 2 Chronicles 34:26.

The exact New Testament wording is found in Jesus’ teaching: “Ask, and it shall be given you,” which appears in Matthew 7:7 and is repeated in Luke 11:9 Matthew 7:7Luke 11:9.

Jesus also links petition to believing prayer in Matthew 21:22: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,” which many Christians read alongside Matthew 7:7 to understand conditions and posture in prayer Matthew 21:22.

Not applicable. Concerns biblical scripture; Islam has its own teachings on supplication separate from the Bible Quran 3:38.