And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

MATTHEW 21:22KJV
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Matthew 21:22 (KJV)

What does Matthew 21:22 mean?

Matthew 21:22 says that if you pray and truly believe, you will receive whatever you ask for. This verse highlights the importance of faith when bringing requests to God in prayer.

Jesus is speaking to His disciples after performing miracles and teaching about faith. The verse comes as part of a lesson where Jesus encourages His followers to trust God fully, especially when they pray. The focus is not just on asking, but on believing that God can answer, which is a key theme in Jesus’ teaching here.

The Greek behind Matthew 21:22

  • "πιστεύοντες" (pisteuontes, "believing"): This word means having faith or trust. In this context, it stresses that the act of believing is ongoing and active, not just a one-time thought.
  • "πάντα" (panta, "all things"): The Greek word here is broad and inclusive, showing that Jesus is not limiting the kinds of requests, but the context suggests faith is the essential qualifier.
  • "προσευχή" (proseuchē, "prayer"): This term refers specifically to prayer directed toward God, emphasizing a personal and relational aspect of asking.

Why Matthew 21:22 matters

  • Matthew 21:22 is sometimes misunderstood as a guarantee that God will grant any request, but the emphasis on "believing" and the wider context show that faith and God’s will are both important.
  • This verse connects to the surrounding passage where Jesus teaches about the power of faith, especially after the disciples witness the withering of the fig tree.
  • The verse encourages readers to approach God with genuine trust, highlighting the relationship between faith and answered prayer in Jesus’ teaching.

Where else these words appear

“prayer” Greek G4335 · used in 37 verses

  • Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
  • Acts 10:31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
  • Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

“ask” Greek G154 · used in 68 verses

  • Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
  • Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
  • Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

“whatsoever” Greek G3745 · used in 104 verses

  • Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
  • Luke 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
  • Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.