Where in the Bible Does It Say Ask and You Shall Receive?

The specific phrase 'ask and you shall receive' isn't found in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), but the underlying principle — that God hears and responds to sincere petition — runs throughout Jewish scripture and tradition 1 Kings 8:43.

Solomon's dedication prayer at the Temple in Jerusalem is one of the most expansive expressions of this idea. He asks God to hear everyone who calls out, even foreigners: 'grant all that the foreigner asks You for. Thus all the peoples of the earth will know Your name' 1 Kings 8:43. This universalizes petitionary prayer far beyond Israel alone.

The prophet Jeremiah also models intercessory petition, promising the people: 'I will pray to the ETERNAL your God as you request, and I will tell you whatever response GOD gives for you. I will withhold nothing from you' Jeremiah 42:4. This passage shows prayer as a two-way channel — humans ask, prophets intercede, and God responds.

Rabbinic tradition (e.g., the Amidah, the central Jewish prayer) institutionalized petitionary prayer into daily liturgy, reflecting the conviction that God actively listens. Scholars like Joseph Heinemann (in Prayer in the Talmud, 1977) have argued that Jewish petitionary prayer is rooted in a relational theology where God genuinely responds to human need. There's some rabbinic debate about whether God's response is always immediate or conditional on repentance and merit, but the core openness of God to human requests is rarely disputed.

The most direct answer to this question is Matthew 7:7–8, part of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus gives a threefold promise — ask, seek, knock — each with a guaranteed result Matthew 7:7Matthew 7:8:

Matthew 21:22 adds a condition: belief. Jesus tells his disciples that whatever they ask in prayer, believing, they'll receive Matthew 21:22. This verse is often cited in discussions about faith-based prayer and has been central to charismatic and evangelical theology.

Theologians have long wrestled with what 'ask and you shall receive' actually means in practice. Does it promise anything? Most mainstream scholars — including D.A. Carson in his commentary on Matthew (1984) — argue the promise is contextual: asking must align with God's will and character, not function as a blank check. The phrase 'in my name' (John 16:24, not in these passages but closely related) further qualifies the promise in broader New Testament context.

There's real disagreement here. Prosperity gospel teachers read Matthew 7:7 as a near-unconditional promise of material blessing. Reformed theologians like John Calvin argued the promise is spiritually conditioned — God gives what is truly good for us, not necessarily what we want. Both camps cite the same verses, which tells you something about how rich and contested this text is.

Still, the core Christian conviction is clear: prayer is not a monologue. God listens, and God responds.

The Bible is not Islam's primary scripture, so Matthew 7:7 isn't a source of Islamic doctrine. However, Islam holds a remarkably parallel teaching about petitionary prayer (du'a) that's worth comparing directly.

The Hadith literature records that Allah actively invites petition. In Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ describes Allah descending to the lowest heaven in the final third of the night and calling out: 'Is there anyone who invokes Me, that I may respond to his invocation; Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give it to him?' Sahih al Bukhari 6321. This is a striking parallel to the 'ask and receive' promise — God is portrayed as actively seeking those who will ask.

At the same time, the Prophet ﷺ also taught a nuanced balance. He praised those who abstain from asking other people, saying Allah will make such a person self-sufficient — but this refers to human dependence, not to du'a directed at God Sahih al Bukhari 1469. Asking Allah is not only permitted; it's encouraged as an act of worship.

The Quran itself records Zechariah's prayer as a model: 'My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication' Quran 3:38. The Arabic title Sami' al-Du'a (Hearer of supplication) is one of God's attributes in Islamic theology, underscoring that petition is always received.

Islamic scholars like Ibn al-Qayyim (14th century) wrote extensively on du'a, noting that God always responds — sometimes by granting the request, sometimes by averting harm, sometimes by reserving reward for the hereafter. The response isn't always what you asked for, but it's never ignored.

The precise phrase “ask and you shall receive” does not occur in the Hebrew Bible, but the theme that God hears prayer and grants requests is clear, as in Solomon’s dedication prayer, “hear in Your heavenly abode and grant all that the foreigner asks You for” (1 Kings 8:43) 1 Kings 8:43. Jeremiah likewise models petition and reporting God’s response: “I will pray to the ETERNAL your God as you request... I will withhold nothing from you” (Jeremiah 42:4) Jeremiah 42:4. Inquiry of God through prophets is also acknowledged, as in 2 Chronicles 34:26 2 Chronicles 34:26.

The wording is in the Gospel of Matthew: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7), followed by “For every one that asketh receiveth...” (Matthew 7:8) Matthew 7:7Matthew 7:8. Jesus also says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22) Matthew 21:22. Classic commentators like Augustine and later Reformers debated how these promises relate to God’s will and faith, but the verses themselves are explicit imperatives and assurances Matthew 7:7Matthew 7:8Matthew 21:22.

Not applicable. Concerns Christian scripture; no direct counterpart required to answer where the Bible says this.